Road Safety Norms For Expressways

Road Safety Norms for Expressways
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway which has been designed for high-
speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow ingress- and egress-regulated. Common
English terms are Freeway (in Australia, South Africa, United States and Canada),
Motorway (in the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand and parts of
Australia) and Expressway (parts of Canada, parts of the United States, India and
many other Asian countries).
A controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no traffic
signals, intersections or property access. They are free of any at-grade crossings with
other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by overpasses
and underpasses. Entrances and exits to the highway are provided at interchanges by
slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway and arterials
and collector roads.
Expressways are the safest roads by design as depicted in Table 1
Table 1: Killed per 1 billion veh.km [Source: Wikipedia]
Expressway design principles

Expressway design requirements differ among countries, but there are several design
principles that are more or less similar in EU countries and internationally, which
distinguish Expressways from other road types. These include:
 A typical design speed in the range of 100-130Km/h.
 Minimum values for horizontal curve radii around 750m to 900m.
 Maximum longitudinal gradients typically not exceeding 4% to 5%.
 Cross sections incorporating a minimum of two through-traffic lanes for each
direction of travel, with a typical width of 3.50m to 3.75m each, separated by
a central median.
 An obstacle free zone varying from 4,5m to 10m, or alternatively installation of
appropriate vehicle restraint systems.
 Proper design of grade - separated interchanges to provide for the movement
of traffic between two or more roadways on different levels.
 Installation of highly efficient road equipment and traffic control devices.
Safety benefits of Expressways
Expressways exhibit much lower accident rates (injury accidents per million vehicle
kilometres) than other road types. Studies comparing Expressways to standard rural
and urban roads indicate 50% to 90% lower accident rates for Expressways.
Specific Expressway characteristics also exhibit important road safety benefits:
Central medians (with or without barriers) have been found to reduce accident rates
in most situations. Medians affect the distribution of accidents by type: reduced
numbers of head-on collisions have been reported.
Replacing at-grade intersections with grade separated interchanges is related to a
reduction in the number of accidents in the range of -15% to -57%.
Access restriction on Expressways is also related to reduce accident rates.
On freeways, Shoulder rumble strips have proven to be a very effective way to warn
drivers that they are leaving or are about to leave the road. According to FHWA,
several studies have estimated that rumble strips can reduce the rate of Run Off Road
crashes by 20 to 50 percent [NCHRP Report 500].
Dynamic Speed Limit: Studies have indicated that variable speed limits could reduce
accident rates by 5% to 17%, by temporarily reducing speed limits during risky traffic
conditions when accident potential exceeded a pre-specified threshold. There was a
significant (-18%) decrease of the number of injury crashes after the introduction of
the system. A distinction according to crash type showed an almost significant
decrease of 20% in the number of rear end crashes whereas the number of single-
vehicle crashes decreased by 15%.
Design Speed and alignment:
A design speed of 110 -130 km/hr is generally adopted.
Typical minimum values for horizontal curve radii are around 750m to 900m and
longitudinal gradients typically do not exceed 4% to 5%. Sight distance requirements
also necessitate long and smooth vertical curves, with minimum values for vertical
curve radii around 10.0m to 13.0m for crest curves and 6.0m to 9.0m for sag curves.
According to the design standards of various European countries, the width of
obstacle free zone on Expressways varies from 4.5m to more than 10m.
For Tunnels:
A maximum gradient of 5% is allowed for tunnels. (EU Directive 2004/54/EC)
An additional important consideration for tunnel design is sight distance. Because of
ceiling and walls, sight distances in tunnels are limited in comparison to open road
segments. A limited sight distance in Expressway tunnels can partly be compensated
by supplying the driver with information concerning the current traffic situation in the
tunnel, by means of Variable Message Signs (VMS), Lane Control Signs (LCS), Variable
Speed Limit Signs (VSLS) and other means of tunnel dynamic signage.
Road Marking: Road markings in Expressways should be visible from a minimum
distance of 75m to 100m (FGSV, 2008).
Traffic Signs: Traffic restriction and warning signs in particular, should be used only
when specific local conditions indicate an increased risk, such as (FGSV, 2008):
 occurrence of traffic merging and/ or diversion in relatively small length of the
Expressway,
 densely spaced entrance and exit ramps,
 Record of increased accident rates in a specific section of the Expressway.
Informative signs are also of particular importance. A proper balance is required
between presenting detailed direction information and not overloading drivers.
During high speed driving only a limited amount of data can be realized and
processed by drivers; excessive signage may result in driver overload and
distraction and ultimately may deteriorate road safety.
Expressway fencing: Fencing aims to prevent wildlife from entering the Expressway,
in order to protect both road users and animals.
Electronic traffic control devices: The safe operation of Expressways is enhanced by

a large number of electronic equipment and devices, such as:
 emergency phone network, enabling road users to communicate with the
Expressway operator,
 Closed Circuit TV (CCTV), for the surveillance of the Expressway and the
identification of various incidents,
 Variable Message Signs (VMS), enabling the Expressway operator to inform road
users on various safety related issues (e.g. roadworks, incidents etc.)
 Variable Speed Limit Signs (VSLS), enabling the Expressway operator to reduce
the speed limit according to traffic conditions or other incidents,
 Over-Height Vehicle Detection (OHVD), to identify and stop vehicles exceeding
the maximum permissible height, in order to prevent damage to Expressway
tunnels and other overhead structures, etc.
Expressway Accidents
Although Expressways exhibit reduced accident rates compared to other road types,
accidents still occur. Furthermore, as a result of increased vehicle speeds in
Expressways, accidents tend to be more severe [ERSO Traffic Safety Synthesis on
Speed and Speed Management].
Highest percentage of fatalities on European Expressways occurred in the 25-49 age
group (2015 data), whereas the over 64 age group is less involved in Expressway
fatalities (15%) than in non-Expressway fatalities (27%).
Three types of accidents on Expressways are of particular interest:
(a) Accidents caused by the improper use of emergency lanes,
(b) cross-median head-on accidents, and
(c) Accidents involving wrong way driving.
Improper use of Emergency Lane: In all EU countries, traffic regulations commonly
prohibit the use of emergency lanes for normal operation and regular traffic. The
purpose of emergency lanes is:
(a) To provide the necessary space for emergency stop of vehicles and
(b) To be used by emergency services vehicles (police, ambulances, fire brigade).
Measures that have been proposed in order to reduce accidents on emergency lanes
are (SWOV, 2002):
 installation of rumble strips on the border between the carriageway and the
emergency lane,
 widening of emergency lanes,
 information campaigns on the use of emergency lanes on Expressways,
 Installation of lighting on Expressways, especially in sections where emergency
lanes and/ or through lanes are narrow.
Cross Median Accident: Head-on cross-median accidents typically occur when a
vehicle crosses the median and crashes with a vehicle travelling in the opposite
direction. A head-on accident can also occur when a vehicle inadvertently travels the
wrong way in the opposing traffic lanes. Major contributory factors for median-barrier
accidents: improper lane changes, driver losing control of vehicle, travelling too fast
for weather conditions, exceeding the posted speed limit, and forced vehicle
movement or avoidance maneuvers.
Following objectives for reducing the number of fatal head on accidents on
Expressways have been defined (NCHRP, 2009):
Keep vehicles from departing the travelled way by:
 Installation of left shoulder rumble strips.
 Provision of enhanced pavement markings and median delineation.
 Provision of improved pavement surfaces
Accident involving wrong way driving: A wrong-way accident is defined as a traffic
accident caused by a wrong-way driver, who is a driver travelling in the wrong
direction along a one-way street or on a physically separated Expressway.
Table 2: Contributing factor for wrong-way driving accident [ICT: 2012]
Partial cloverleaf interchanges are identified as the most probable locations for
wrong-way entries to the Expressway, with the side-by-side on- and off-ramp
configuration contributing to driver mistakes. In some cases, concrete barriers may
separate the looping ramps so that drivers cannot see the entrance ramp on the
barrier’s other side (Howard, 1980; Moler, 2002; NCHRP, 2009).
 Full cloverleaf interchanges are the most desirable type of interchange to avoid
wrong-way movements, especially if proper traffic control devices are used on
the overcrossing bridge to keep motorists on the proper side (Howard, 1980;
Moler, 2002; Braam, 2006).
 Trumpet interchanges are more susceptible to wrong-way movements, while
such problems are rare in full cloverleaf and full-diamond interchanges
(Howard, 1980; Copelan, 1989).
 A full-diamond interchange minimizes driver confusion and wrong-way
movement. However, sometimes drivers will mistake an off-ramp of a diamond
interchange for a frontage road parallel to the ramp or highway, mistakenly
turning left from the overcrossing street to the off-ramp (Howard, 1980; Moler,
2002; Braam, 2006).
 Left-side off-ramps are characterized by increased risk for wrong-way
Expressway entrances, because drivers naturally expect to enter the
Expressway using a right-turn and may mistakenly travel the wrong way from
the exit of the left-side off-ramp (Howard, 1980; Cooner et al., 2004)
Table 3: countermeasures for wrong-way driving [ICT : 2012]
References
1. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_500v6.pdf
2. https://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/sites/roadsafety/files/pdf/ersosy
nthesis2018-motorways.pdf
3. Motorway design guide, Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Government
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled-access_highway

Road Safety Norms For Expressways

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Road Safety Norms For Expressways

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Road Safety Norms For Expressways

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Road Safety Norms for Expressways

Expressway design principles

Electronic traffic control devices: The safe operation of Expressways is enhanced by

You might also like