THE EFFECT OF A SUSTAINABLY-SAFE ROAD DESIGN ON ROAD USERS' BEHAVIOUR: THE BEFORE-MEASUREMENT

HET EFFECT VAN EEN DUURZAAM-VEILIGE WEGINRICHTING OP HET GEDRAG VAN WEGGEBRUIKERS: DE VOORMETING

One aim of the Dutch "Sustainably-safe road surroundings and traffic behaviour" research programme is to find an answer to the question whether, and to what extent, a 'sustainably-safe' design of rural collector roads influences road users' behaviour. The present report is part of this research programme. The report presents the research design together with the results of the October 2000 before/baseline measurement carried out using video observations and detection loops. The research design was that of a before-and-after study, with an experimental and control road section. As location two sections of the road were chosen between Meppel and Pesse in the north-eastern province of Drente. This is an 80 km/h rural collector road for motor vehicles only. The control section was between Weerwille and Blijdenstein and the experimental section between Pesse and the exit road to Ruinen. The before-measurement showed that, on weekdays, there were behavioural differences between the two sections. The detector loop data showed, among other things, that on the experimental section between Pesse and the exit road to Ruinen, the average speed driven was higher than on the control section between Weerwille and Blijdenstein. The video data showed that there were neither differences between the average headway times of the two sections, nor between the percentage of overtaking manoeuvres. There were, however, differences in lateral positions: the driving was nearer the axis line on the experimental section than on the control section. This applied especially for the traffic driving westwards.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV

  Bezuidenhoutseweg 62
  The Hague,   Netherlands  2594 AW
• Authors:
  • Commandeur, JJF
  • VAN SCHAGEN, INLG
• Publication Date: 2001

Language

• Dutch

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 30 p.
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: R-2001-24

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Driving; Evaluation and assessment; Headways; Layout; Location; Passing; Rural areas; Safety; Speed
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• ITRD Terms: 9001: Behaviour; 1855: Driving (veh); 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 685: Headway; 2885: Layout; 9061: Location; 8078: Netherlands; 1822: Overtaking; 328: Rural area; 1665: Safety; 5408: Speed
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00920594
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Mar 6 2002 12:00AM