Public Transport Vehicles
There is a wide variety of vehicles used for the transportation of passengers and their goods on roads such bicycle rickshaws, motorised rickshaws, cars (including taxis), mini-vans, buses and trucks.
Each vehicle type has its own specific safety problems, but one issue in common is that crashes involving such vehicles often result in multiple injuries and deaths (up to 80 or more in some regions with overloaded buses).
Another common issue is that there is danger not only when moving around the road network, but also when picking-up or dropping-off passengers, and extra care needs to be taken at such locations.
Fares are often low, so operators of public transport often work long hours to stay in business. They might also drive at fast speeds to compete with other operators, and may make sudden and frequent stops to pick up passengers.
Public transport vehicles produce dangers for those who ride in (or on) them, but also may be of risk to other road users. This is particularly so as the size of the vehicle increases.
Although driver and vehicle defects have a significant role in public transport vehicle crashes, there are many road related factors that also influence risk. It is often easier and cheaper to improve safety through a change to the road environment than it is to change driver behaviour, so improvements in the road system are an important means of improving road safety.
Road related contributing factors to crashes include:
- High speeds
- Lack of facilities at drop-off and pick-up points (especially for pedestrians)
- Uncontrolled movements and turns, especially at intersections and access points
- Lack of separation of vehicles or road users of different size (e.g. lack of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists)
- Lack of separation for vehicles travelling in different directions (e.g. lack of median barriers)
- Lack of advanced warning of hazards
- Inadequate information to enable road users to negotiate the roadway safely
- Presence of hazards, particularly at the roadside (e.g. utility poles and trees)
- Poor road surface
- Safer Roads
- Estimated cost
- Casualty Reduction
- Central Turning Lane Full Length
- Low
- 10-25%
- Delineation
- Low
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Delineation
- Low
- 10-25%
- Central Hatching
- Low
- 10-25%
- Rumble Strips
- Low
- 10-25%
- Median Crossing Upgrade
- Low to medium
- 25-40%
- Skid Resistance
- Low to medium
- 25-40%
- Roadside Safety - Hazard Removal
- Low to medium
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Signalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Unsignalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Parking Improvements
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Regulate Roadside Commercial Activity
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Signalise
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Railway Crossing
- Medium
- 60% or more
- One Way Network
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Roadside Safety - Barriers
- Medium
- 40-60%
- Shoulder Sealing
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Speed Management
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Road Surface Rehabilitation
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Traffic Calming
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Lane Widening
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Median Barrier
- Medium to high
- 60% or more
- Restrict/Combine Direct Access Points
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Roundabout
- Medium to high
- 60% or more
- Additional Lane
- High
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Grade Separation
- High
- 25-40%
- Realignment - Horizontal
- High
- 25-40%
- Realignment - Vertical
- High
- 10-25%
- Duplication
- High
- 25-40%
- Service Road
- 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%
- Central Hatching
- Low
- 10-25%
- Rumble Strips
- Low
- 10-25%
- Median Crossing Upgrade
- Low to medium
- 25-40%
- Skid Resistance
- Low to medium
- 25-40%
- Roadside Safety - Hazard Removal
- Low to medium
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Signalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Turn Lanes (Unsignalised)
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Parking Improvements
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Regulate Roadside Commercial Activity
- Low to medium
- 10-25%
- Intersection - Signalise
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Railway Crossing
- Medium
- 60% or more
- One Way Network
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Roadside Safety - Barriers
- Medium
- 40-60%
- Shoulder Sealing
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Speed Management
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Road Surface Rehabilitation
- Medium
- 25-40%
- Traffic Calming
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Lane Widening
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Median Barrier
- Medium to high
- 60% or more
- Restrict/Combine Direct Access Points
- Medium to high
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Roundabout
- Medium to high
- 60% or more
- Additional Lane
- High
- 25-40%
- Intersection - Grade Separation
- High
- 25-40%
- Realignment - Horizontal
- High
- 25-40%
- Realignment - Vertical
- High
- 10-25%
- Duplication
- High
- 25-40%
- Service Road
- High
- 25-40%
Safer Vehicles
- Safer Vehicles
Safer People
- Safer People
Did you know?
Some 72% of recorded pedestrian casualties occurred while pedestrians were crossing the road (Road Casualties Great Britain 2006)
Latest Case Studies
See practical examples of how deaths and serious injuries have been prevented.
