NRA Takes Drastic Steps to Tackle Poor Driver Behaviour on Motorways/DualCarriageways

Victor

http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/d1540.HTML.html

NRA Takes Drastic Steps to Tackle Poor Driver Behaviour on Motorways/Dual Carriageways
17th November 2004

The National Roads Authority (NRA) has announced that all future motorways and dual carriageways will be fitted with crash barriers irrespective of the width of the central median. The Authority, which as a matter of practice keeps safety issues under constant review, says it reached the decision after taking account of a range of factors, including poor driver behaviour on motorways and the certainty that such behaviour could not be ruled out in the future.

A retrofit programme is already underway providing median crash barriers where the width of the central median on motorways and dual carriageways is 15 metres or less. Experience shows that a reservation of sufficient width (without a specially constructed steel or other form of crash barrier) is a highly effective safety mechanism. The central reservation area enables the vast majority of drivers to regain control of their vehicles without loss of life or injury to themselves or others, or indeed, damage to vehicles. However, irresponsible driver behaviour, including so called “joy riding” incidents has left the NRA with no alternative but to extend the retrofit programme to all motorways and dual carriageways regardless of the median width. The current retrofit programme is two-thirds complete. This work and the extension of the programme to all outstanding sections of motorway and dual carriageway (other than the M50 Dublin C-Ring) will be complete by mid 2005 at a cost in excess of €15m. Median crash barriers on the M50 will be installed as part of the planned upgrade of the motorway and major interchanges. Proposals for this work have been submitted to An Bord Pleanala. Subject to obtaining the Boards approval, work on the M50 upgrade is expected to commence by the end of 2005.

Analysis of road accident data clearly establishes that the risk of being involved in a road accident is much lower on motorways than on either dual carriageways or single carriageways according to Harry Cullen, Head of Safety, NRA. He said,

“The risk of being involved in a fatal accident on a single carriageway road is approximately 7 times greater than on a motorway.”

Mr Cullen warned that the provision of purpose-designed crash barriers on motorways and dual carriageways is not without risk and unfortunately cannot guarantee that fatalities will be avoided in the future. Barriers perform most effectively where the angle of vehicle impact is 20 degrees or less. Occupants of vehicles out of control may sustain injury or death on impact with a barrier, depending on the angle and speed of impact. There is also a risk of the vehicle concerned being projected back onto the carriageway from which it has come with potential serious consequences for the occupants and other road users.

The Authority hopes that the installation of purpose designed crash barriers will have the effect of supplementing the high safety record of motorways and dual carriageways. However, as already indicated, there can be no guarantee that their installation will prevent further fatalities on these roads.

For further information please contact

Harry Cullen, Head of Safety NRA
01 660 25 11
086 8230500

Michael Egan, Head of Corporate Affairs NRA
01 660 25 11
086 087 2854033



Information note

Recent fatal accidents where at least one vehicle involved crossed the central median of a motorway and collided with oncoming traffic have focused attention on policy in relation to the provision of crash barriers on central medians.

The provision of barriers on motorway central medians has long been a controversial topic. The major pros and cons of the provision of crash barriers on central medians are outlined below:

Pros
The provision of a crash barrier on the central median should prevent most crossover accidents – typically where out-of-control vehicles travel across the central median and enter the opposite carriageway with a risk of colliding with oncoming traffic. The casualty rate from such accidents (on average in Ireland there are 3.8 casualties per injury accident) is higher than for accidents where the vehicle enters and stays within the central median (2.0) and for accidents where the vehicle entered the median but returned from the side from which it came.

Cons
Experience shows that approximately 85% of vehicles that stray onto central medians (of 9 metres or more) recover and return from the median to the side from which they came. Providing crash barriers in central medians would result in a large percentage of these vehicles colliding with the barrier. Despite improvements in crash barrier technology, such collisions could have potentially fatal consequences for the driver/passengers of the out of control vehicle as well as for other road users.

BrianD

The headline is a bit misleading! I fail to see how the fitting of barriers will "tackle Poor Driver Behaviour on Motorways/Dual Carriageways"!

On the subject of dual carraigeway driving perhaps it is time to introduce a fine for driving in the overtaking lane. Regular browsers will note the number of references I have made to driving conditions in Australia where they take road safety and driver education seriously. On dual carraigeways they have signs at regular intervals saying "Keep left unless overtaking. Fine $90". Works well. It's probably difficult to fine somebody for an offence but the regular reminders have the desired effect.

sliabh

BrianD wrote:

On the subject of dual carraigeway driving perhaps it is time to introduce a fine for driving in the overtaking lane.

Interestingly enough someone did a statistical analysis of the usage of the second lane and how it works as an overtaking lane vs let drivers use it anyway they want (as I believe is typically used in the US)

The latter approach, i.e. don't insist that one lane is used for faster/overtaking traffic, leads to greater throughput for a given road size. I can't remember what the impact on safety was but the article should still be on the new scientist site.

Capt'n Midnight

Ok there are studies about people bouncing back in to the lane they came from / crossing over to the opposite lane, but has anyone taken into account that our overtaking lanes are more likely to have traffic in them than perhaps the roads the studies were done on.