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Designing Safer Roads

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The way a road is designed affects how safe it is. People make mistakes, so it is important for the road design to take this into account.

In New Zealand people are injured and killed on our roads every year. To reduce injuries and deaths people need to drive safely and roads need to be well designed.

How do we make roads safe?

Studies of driver behaviour, speed and road design have helped experts to come up with ways to build safer roads.

To make roads safer features can be added such as:

  1. Side and median barriers
  2. Rumble strips
  3. Wide centrelines
  4. Flexible barriers
  5. Signs and road markings
  6. Shoulder widening
  7. Setting safer speeds
  8. Curve realignment
  9. Intersection improvements

New roads are designed to reduce the chance of harm to drivers and pedestrians. These roads make it easier for people to use the road safely.

People make mistakes, so roads need to be:

  • predictable and forgiving of mistakes.
  • Road design should encourage drivers to drive safely and at safe speeds.

Speed

If there is a crash the speed the car is traveling will have a big impact on how serious the crash is. Lower speeds mean there is less chance of injury. Speed limits need to be set to suit each road rather than all open roads having a speed limit of 100km/hour.

Road conditions will also affect how fast a driver can safely travel.

Technology 

Technology is helping to make our roads safer. Computer technology is used to:

  • design roads
  • model crashes at different speeds
  • communicate with drivers.

Variable message signs are electronic signs that can be changed to tell drivers about current road conditions, road works and the need to reduce speed. Equipment can help manage roads by monitoring traffic and conditions, so drivers can be kept informed through signs and changes in speed limits.

This equipment includes:

  • Radar
  • Loops
  • CCTV cameras
  • Electronic signs that are programmed to respond automatically to manage the flow of traffic

Local people can help with the design of roads. By knowing how people use and travel through an area road designers can make the space easier to use and safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Ready for a quiz? Try the interactive 'Designing Safer Roads' activity .

Audio Māori keywords: 

Audio Māori keywords: 

Can you think of a road in your area that could be improved to make it safer? How would you improve this road?

Modern roads are designed to be more predictable and forgiving of mistakes. Image: NZTA.

Research into driver behaviour, speed and road design have helped experts to come up with ways to build safer roads. What safety features can you see here on the Waikato Expressway? Image: NZTA.

Median road barriers are used to separate traffic and make highways safer. This barrier is on Wellington's Smart Motorway. Image: LEARNZ.

Variable message signs on Wellington's Smart Motorway keep drivers informed and can change legal speed limits. Image: NZTA.

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