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Car Occupants

Car use is growing rapidly in many countries. The resultant increase in interaction between cars, heavy vehicles (such as trucks or buses) and vulnerable road users often leads to conflicts and more crashes.

Car occupants are also at risk themselves, particularly in higher speed environments. Even in the most modern of vehicles, the chance of surviving a side impact with a tree or post reduces dramatically above 30 km/h, while the chances of survival are low above 70 km/h for a head-on crash with a similar vehicle. For less modern vehicles, or in collisions with vulnerable road users, survival speeds in a collision are far less.

While people will always makes mistakes, there are many road related factors that influence the risk of crashes. It is often easier, cheaper and more effective 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:

  • inappropriate speeds.
  • 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.
Name Cost rating Effectiveness
Additional Lane High 25 – 40%
Central Hatching Low 10 – 25%
Central Turning Lane Full Length Low 10 – 25%
Delineation Low 10 – 25%
Duplication High 25 – 40%
Intersection – Delineation Low 10 – 25%
Intersection – Grade Separation High 25 – 40%
Intersection – Roundabout Low to Medium 60% or more
Intersection – Signalise Medium 25 – 40%
Intersection – Turn Lanes (Signalised) Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Intersection – Turn Lanes (Unsignalised) Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Lane Widening Medium to High 25 – 40%
Median Barrier Medium to High 60% or more
Median Crossing Upgrade Low to Medium 25 – 40%
One Way Network Medium 25 – 40%
Parking Improvements Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Railway Crossing Medium 60% or more
Realignment – Horizontal High 25 – 40%
Realignment – Vertical High 10 – 25%
Regulate Roadside Commercial Activity Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Restrict/Combine Direct Access Points Medium to High 25 – 40%
Road Surface Rehabilitation Medium 25 – 40%
Roadside Safety – Barriers Medium 40 – 60%
Roadside Safety – Hazard Removal Low to Medium 25 – 40%
Rumble Strips Low 10 – 25%
School Zones Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Service Road High 25 – 40%
Paved Shoulder Medium 25 – 40%
Sight Distance (obstruction removal) Low to Medium 25 – 40%
Skid Resistance Low to Medium 25 – 40%
Speed Management Medium 25 – 40%
Traffic Calming Medium to High 25 – 40%
  • A child safety seat. Image credit: iStock
  • A child safety seat. Image credit: iStock
  • A child safety seat. Image credit: iStock
  • A seat belt. Image credit: iStock
  • Car passing a 30km/h speed limit sign. Photo credit: RdA Suisse
  • Children wearing seat belts. Image credit: iStock
  • Vehicle occupant Star Ratings by road user type based on a 358,000km sample of roads across 54 countries. Image credit: iRAP
  • The results of a head-on crash. Image credit: iStock
  • Thirteen primary school teachers were killed instantly when this minibus slammed into an oncoming truck on an undivided highway, South Africa. Image credit: North West Provincial Government
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