STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF LATERAL OBSTACLES ON ROAD SAFETY

UNTERSUCHUNG UEBER DEN EINFLUSS SEITLICHER HINDERNISSE AUF DIE VERKEHRSSICHERHEIT

LATERAL OBSTACLES, SUCH AS TREES, LIGHTING STANDARDS, SIGNPOSTS, DIRECTION SIGN SUPPORTS, ETC., ARE ESSENTIAL BUT THEY CONSTITUTE A DANGER TO VEHICLES AND THEIR OCCUPANTS WHEN VEHICLES LEAVE THE CARRIAGEWAY. THE RESEARCH WILL INVESTIGATE: THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH TREES AT THE SIDE OF A ROAD SHOULD BE REMOVED IN THE INTEREST OF ROAD SAFETY, WHETHER AND HOW ROAD SAFETY CAN BE IMPROVED BY VEGETATION, WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE SHOULD BE ASCRIBED TO TRAFFIC ENGINEERING INSTALLATIONS SUCH AS LIGHTING, DIRECTION INDICATORS, SIGNS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ETC., FOR THE GUIDANCE OF DRIVERS, THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH LATERAL OBSTACLES (OTHER THAN TREES) SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH FRANGIBLE JOINTS OF A SUITABLE TYPE OR PROTECTED WITH CRASH BARRIERS OR ENERGY-ABSORBING CRASH PROTECTING DEVICES. IT IS INTENDED TO CARRY OUT ANALYSES OF POLICE ACCIDENT RECORDS, MEASUREMENTS OF TRAFFIC FLOW, TO MAKE TEST FILMS FOR THE SIMULATION OF DRIVING, AND TO CONDUCT BEHAVIOURAL STUDIES WITH THE AID OF DRIVING SIMULATORS.