ROAD CAMBERS AND ACCIDENTS

The author discusses how the wrong design of cambers can play an important part in the causation of an accident. A special study is made of two such accidents, the first fatality being on a right hand bend. An articulated lorry had jack-knifed on coming round the bend and a pedestrian had been killed. As the lorry ended up on the inside of the curve, it must therefore have been going too slowly for the conditions. It is pointed out that had the road not been superelevated this would not have happened. The second accident occurred on a roundabout, on which an articulated lorry overturned onto the island. At first it was believed that a temporary crown had been wrongly designed, but it was found again that adverse camber had been used. Details are given of the superelevation of the roundabout and of the speed of the lorry. Other such accidents have occurred on roundabouts designed in the same way. According to the author, the solution to the problem is to give the straights normal camber and to provide short transition curves to bring out the superelevation. /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  IPC Building and Contract Journals Limited

  Surrey House, 1 Throwley Way
  Sutton, Surrey SM1 4QQ,   England 
• Authors:
  • Leeming, J J
• Publication Date: 1975-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 16-17
• Serial:
  • Highways and Road Construction
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue Number: 1786

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Crashes; Curvature; Geometric segments; Highway curves; Highway design; Highways; Layout; Operators (Persons); Roundabouts; Superelevation; Traffic circles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Articulated vehicles; Operator; Transverse profile
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 2872: Bend (road); 2755: Highway; 2885: Layout; 438: Roundabout; 2843: Transverse profile
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00127908
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 29 1975 12:00AM