SAFETY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS; THE EUROPEAN VIEWPOINT

Traffic safety studies into the effect of engineering countermeasures in residential areas have been carried out in several countries. The results of the implementation of area-wide road engineering schemes on traffic accidents can be summarized as follows: (1) strict differentiation of streets according to their traffic function leads to safer residential areas (2) full segregation of vehicle from pedestrian and cycle movement is accompanied by very low accident rates (3) space-sharing approaches (e.g. Woonerf) decrease accident rates by half and have favourable effects for children (4) most accident surveys have shown that the measures taken in the experimental areas have not led to negative effects on road safety in the areas of influence. But there are some drawbacks to these approaches. It has become more and more obvious that in addition to traffic regulations, engineering measures, campaigns, traffic education programmes, etc.there is a move in the approach from area-wide road engineering schemes for residential areas to more integrated urban traffic safety planning and management. It is recommended that countermeasures for improving traffic safety in urban areas should also have effects on other aspects of the environmental system, and that better explanations of the existing safety problems to the residents, as well as greater participation of the public in countermeasure design are a greater guarantee for a successful outcome.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV

  Bezuidenhoutseweg 62
  The Hague,   Netherlands  2594 AW
• Authors:
  • KRAAY, J H
• Publication Date: 1987

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 16 p.
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: R-87

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Children; Pedestrian malls; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; Pedestrian vehicle interface; Pedestrians; Planning; Publicity; Residential areas; Safety; Traffic conflicts; Traffic engineering; Traffic restraint; Traffic safety education; Urban areas; Walkways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Traffic segregation
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• Old TRIS Terms: Pedestrian protection
• ITRD Terms: 1661: Accident prevention; 1758: Child; 2284: Education; 2455: Environment; 8078: Netherlands; 143: Planning; 142: Public participation; 8573: Publicity; 307: Residential area; 1755: Road user; 1665: Safety; 350: Segregation (traffic, pedestrians); 354: Town planning; 655: Traffic engineering; 633: Traffic restraint; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00480181
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Report/Paper Numbers: -20
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1989 12:00AM