European Campaign for Safe Road Design
Encyclopedia
The European Campaign for Safe Road Design aims to influence the European Union to make safe road design a European transport priority and save unnecessary deaths on Europe's roads. The campaign is a partnership between 28 road safety stakeholders from across Europe, claiming that a formal safe road infrastructure initiative could reduce the number of killed and seriously injured by 50,000 per year in less than a decade, saving 0.5% of GDP - €50 billion, saving at least 300 deaths and serious injuries per day. The European campaign builds on the UK Campaign for Safe Road Design
which has worked to influence the UK government since 2008.
Two thirds of road deaths occur on national or regional roads outside major towns. Road infrastructure safety measures can reduce serious crashes by more than half.
The EC
is starting its 10 year road safety review, and the campaign suggests that systematic Safe Road Infrastructure Initiatives could cut casualties by one third in a decade, a reduction of 50,000 annually. This would equate to a saving of 0.5% of GDP or €50 billion, saving 300 deaths and serious injuries every day.
). This causes instability to cornering vehicles. While almost all outercurves have insufficient banking, some few outercurves have too much banking. In slippery condition, such as in rain or on ice, such over-banked curves cause most problem to vehicles driven at too slow speed. Then the driver may need to turn the steering wheel to the opposite direction, compared to the road curvature!
Both new and old roads often have insufficient drainage gradient
at the entrance and exit of sharp outercurves, causing water pooling in rain and forming local surprising ice spots in cold climate.
A large study in Sweden (see the linked "Analysis of single vehicle accidents with fatal outcome" below) showed that fatal single crashes are 5 times more common in outercurves, than in innercurves. This extreme overrisk is considered strongly related to improper banking and insufficient drainage gradient at outercurves.
Both Drainage gradient and curve banking can be monitored by measurement with a modern Profilograph
. The linked EU Roadex III report below gives demonstrations as on how to analyze Profilograph data to identify excessive accident risk in outercurves.
Campaign for Safe Road Design
The Campaign for Safe Road Design is a partnership between 13 UK major road safety stakeholders that is calling for the UK Government to invest in a safe road infrastructure which in their view could cut deaths on British roads by 33%.-Aims:...
which has worked to influence the UK government since 2008.
Case for the campaign
The Campaign argues that 2,000,000 people have been killed or seriously injured on Europe's roads in the last decade, costing €160billion per year, or 2% of GDP. They state that road deaths are the leading cause of death amongst healthy young adults.Two thirds of road deaths occur on national or regional roads outside major towns. Road infrastructure safety measures can reduce serious crashes by more than half.
The EC
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
is starting its 10 year road safety review, and the campaign suggests that systematic Safe Road Infrastructure Initiatives could cut casualties by one third in a decade, a reduction of 50,000 annually. This would equate to a saving of 0.5% of GDP or €50 billion, saving 300 deaths and serious injuries every day.
Unsafe outercurves
Old roads, designed before entering the automobile speed era, often have improperly banked outercurves (for physical analysis, see banked turnBanked turn
A banked turn is a turn or change of direction in which the vehicle banks or inclines, usually towards the inside of the turn. The bank angle is the angle at which the vehicle is inclined about its longitudinal axis with respect to its path....
). This causes instability to cornering vehicles. While almost all outercurves have insufficient banking, some few outercurves have too much banking. In slippery condition, such as in rain or on ice, such over-banked curves cause most problem to vehicles driven at too slow speed. Then the driver may need to turn the steering wheel to the opposite direction, compared to the road curvature!
Both new and old roads often have insufficient drainage gradient
Drainage gradient
Drainage gradient is a term in road technology, defining the resulting vector of a road surface cross slope and longitudinal gradient .If the DG is too low, rain and melt water drainage will be insufficient...
at the entrance and exit of sharp outercurves, causing water pooling in rain and forming local surprising ice spots in cold climate.
A large study in Sweden (see the linked "Analysis of single vehicle accidents with fatal outcome" below) showed that fatal single crashes are 5 times more common in outercurves, than in innercurves. This extreme overrisk is considered strongly related to improper banking and insufficient drainage gradient at outercurves.
Both Drainage gradient and curve banking can be monitored by measurement with a modern Profilograph
Profilograph
The profilograph is a device used to measure pavement surface roughness. In the early 20th century, Profilographs were low speed rolling devices. Today many Profilographs are advanced high speed systems with a laserbased height sensor in combination with a inertial system that creates a large...
. The linked EU Roadex III report below gives demonstrations as on how to analyze Profilograph data to identify excessive accident risk in outercurves.
Ramp-shaped crash barriers
Crash barriers are very efficient at increasing road safety. However, many barriers starts off with a ramp-shaped end. As a car slightly out of control hits such a ramp, the car become airborne and all tendency to recover control is lost. Often the car rotates and hit a hard object with its roof. Since the roof is the cars weakest section, such crashes often end fatally. In many cases the car flips totally. If it lands in water, the doors may be blocked, stopping the driver and passengers from getting out before the car is filled with water. A surprisingly high number of car drivers have drowned during their rides.Partners
The campaign is a partnership between 28 motoring clubs and road safety organisations from across Europe including:- Lead partner EuroRAPEuroRAPEuropean Road Assessment Programme is a non-profit road safety organisation which aims to reduce death and serious injury on Europe's roads...
- Austria - OEAMTC
- Belgium - TCBTouring Club BelgiumTouring Club Belgium is a motoring organisation providing roadside assistance, insurance, medical insurance and legal support throughout Belgium...
- Croatia - HAK
- Czech Republic - UAMK
- Denmark - FDM - FDM
- Finland - Auto Liitto Auto Litto
- France - FFAC
- German - ADACADACThe ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
- Hungary - KTI and MAK
- Iceland - FIB
- Ireland - AA Ireland
- Italy - ACI
- Macedonia - AMSM
- Montengero - AMSCG
- Netherlands - ANWB
- Norway - NAF
- Poland - PZMPolski Zwiazek MotorowyThe Polski Związek Motorowy is an automobile club and the governing body of motorsports in Poland. It is based in Warsaw.Established in 1950 by merging the Polish Car Club and the Polish Motorcycle Association...
and FRIL - Serbia - AMSS
- Slovakia - SATC
- Slovenia - AMZS
- Spain - RACC and RACE
- Sweden - Motormannen Riksforbund
- Switzerland - TCS
- UK - Road Safety FoundationRoad Safety FoundationThe Road Safety Foundation is a UK based charity which carries out and procures research into safe road design and road safety. The Foundation is responsible for the European Road Assessment Programme in the UK and Ireland.-History:...