Lane Change
Lane change crashes occur when one vehicle attempts to change lanes and collides with another vehicle travelling in the same direction. This crash type is most common on higher volume multi-lane roads (such as motorways and urban arterial roads).
It is also common where there is roadside activity (such as roadside markets or locations where public transport vehicles pick up and drop off passengers).
The severity of the collision between the vehicles is often low, due to low relative speeds. However, if vehicles or road users of different size collide, the consequences can be very severe (e.g. motorcyclist and car, car and truck).
Some of the driver related contributing factors to this crash type are:
- fatigue
- inattention
- alcohol/drugs/medication impairment
- information overload (too many driving decisions to be made at once)
- lack of familiarity with the route
- poor visibility, including ‘blind spots'.
Road related causes include:
- unexpected or poor lane drop-offs or merge areas
- roadside activity
- poor directional signs or lane markings.
- Safer Roads
- Estimated cost
- Casualty Reduction
- Central Turning Lane Full Length
- Low
- 10-25%
- Delineation
- Low
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Delineation
- Low
- 10-25%
- Parking Improvements
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Regulate Roadside Commercial Activity
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Signalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Unsignalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Motorcycle Lanes
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Speed Management
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Traffic Calming
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Grade Separation
- High
- 25-40%
- Safer Vehicles
Safer Roads
- Safer Roads
- Estimated cost
- Casualty Reduction
- Central Turning Lane Full Length
- Low
- 10-25%
- Delineation
- Low
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Delineation
- Low
- 10-25%
- Parking Improvements
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Regulate Roadside Commercial Activity
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Signalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Unsignalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Motorcycle Lanes
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Speed Management
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Traffic Calming
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Grade Separation
- High
- 25-40%
Safer Vehicles
- Safer Vehicles
Safer People
- Safer People
Did you know?
Modern street lights have light-sensitive photocells which enable them to turn on automatically when light levels fall below a set threshold.
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