How to Make Two-Lane Rural Roads Safer. Scientific Background and Guide for Practical Application

When accidents happen, drivers are blamed for the mishap. When drivers consistently fail at certain locations, it then becomes obvious that the problem lies not with the driver but with the geometry of the road itself. Because accidents are not evenly distributed throughout the road network, locations with high accident rates are a clear indication that there are other factors involved, beside driver error, which are characterized by the road itself. In most countries, two-lane rural roads make up about 90 percent of the rural networks and account for over 60 percent of highway fatalities worldwide which is approximately 500,000 people per year. The methodology described in this book will support the achievement of qualified measure of (1) design consistency, (2) operating speed consistency, and (3) driving dynamic consistency. The safety criteria are then combined into an overall safety module for a simplified general overview of the safety evaluation process. The book encourages the coordination of safety concerns with important economic, environmental and aesthetic considerations.