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Using endemic road features to create self-explaining roads and reduce vehicle speeds.
Samuel G Charlton1, Hamish W Mackie, Peter H Baas
1Traffic & Road Safety Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand. samiam@waikato.ac.nz
Accident; Analysis and Prevention
|August 24, 2010
Summary
A self-explaining roads (SER) program successfully reduced vehicle speeds on local urban roads. This urban design strategy created visually distinct road categories, enhancing road safety and user experience.
Area of Science:
- Urban planning and traffic engineering
- Road design and safety
- Sustainable transportation
Background:
- Traditional road designs often lack clear differentiation between road types, potentially leading to inappropriate vehicle speeds.
- The need for innovative urban design solutions to improve traffic calming and road user safety is growing.
- Self-explaining roads (SER) offer a novel approach to guide driver behavior through intuitive environmental cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and evaluate a self-explaining roads (SER) design program in an urban setting.
- To investigate the impact of SER treatments on vehicle speeds and road user perceptions.
- To determine the effectiveness of visually differentiating road categories through design.
Main Methods:
- Developed a methodology to identify functional road categories based on endemic characteristics.
- Implemented SER treatments on local roads (increased landscaping, community islands, removed markings) and collector roads (increased delineation, cycle lanes, pedestrian amenities).
- Collected and analyzed vehicle speed data and resident speed choice ratings 3 months post-implementation, comparing treated areas to a control group.
Main Results:
- Significant reduction in vehicle speeds observed on local roads following SER implementation.
- Increased homogeneity of vehicle speeds noted on both local and collector roads.
- Objective speed data and resident ratings confirmed the successful creation of discriminably different road categories.
Conclusions:
- The self-explaining roads (SER) design program effectively reduced vehicle speeds and enhanced road category differentiation in an urban environment.
- SER principles can be applied to urban streets to improve traffic safety and create more intuitive road environments.
- Visual cues and design modifications are powerful tools for influencing driver behavior and achieving desired traffic outcomes.
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