Canadian research confirms that better designed roads lead to fewer crashes
We don’t often look at it this way, but one of the ways we can improve the quality of our lives in society is to keep our roads in good repair, while constantly thinking in terms of safety upgrades. That’s because road improvements can and do enhance driver safety.
Every year, multi levels of government invest billions of dollars in upgrading roads, repaving highways and redesigning intersections. The promises which come along with those schmancy “Your tax dollars at work” signs include reduced congestion, smoother commutes and road safety.
But how much all these billions of road safety bucks make things safer for you also depends on some other things. What is the actual type of improvement? How will drivers respond to the changes? Are there other safer supports in place, like education and enforcement?
Starting with some obvious things, Canadian research confirms that better designed roads lead to fewer crashes. According to the Transport Association of Canada, intersection redesigns, such as adding traffic signals, roundabouts or raised medians, can reduce severe collisions by up to 40%.
Roundabouts which are becoming more common in Canada are especially noted for their crash reducing effectiveness. Transport Canada says they result in 75% fewer injury collisions and nearly 90% fewer fatal crashes compared to traditional intersections.
Even small improvements, like adding a turn lane or a pedestrian island can reduce dangerous driving decisions by improving visibility for everyone.
Paving quality matters, although some places on the island apparently haven’t received the memo. Freeze and thaw cycles are a thing in Canada and they wreak havoc on road surfaces. ICBC data shows that collision rates increase significantly during the winter, especially on rural or poorly maintained roads.
Properly surfaced roads reduce hydroplaning, allow better traction and improve braking especially in snow and wet periods. The Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers found that resurfacing roads with anti-skid asphalt reduces wet weather crashes by 30 to 40%.
Line visibility, especially in snow, fog and low light is crucial. Faded or confusing road markings lead to lane drifting, missing stops and rear-enders. Rumble strips and good reflective signage are essential for travel on rural roads today because many severe crashes happen there. Rumble strips reduce off road and head-on crashes by 21%.
There is fair criticism today though about the quality and type of material used for making road lines. One of the most common complaints I receive is from drivers trying to discern road markings in bad weather. We need to do better on that one.
Humans don’t see well at night. It’s clearly a problem because that’s when 40% of fatal crashes occur in this country, despite there being far fewer vehicles on the road. Transport Canada says roadway lighting, especially at intersections and crosswalks reduce nighttime collisions between 30 to 50%. Lots of cities are moving to vastly brighter LED streetlights for this reason.
Despite all the good done by keeping our streets more visible and in good repair, not all road work leads to safer streets. For example, wider streets can invite speeding because human psychology is always at play. A wide, well-paved street makes some drivers feel safer than they actually are and therefore drive faster. This is called risk compensation. Ontario and Quebec studies showed that vehicle speeds increased on widened roads even when the speed limit remained unchanged. That improvement cancels the safety benefit.
Tied into that idea is induced demand. The better and more roads we have, the more cars will come. Road expansion often reduces congestion temporarily but because we’ve made it better, we bring more cars, more complex interactions and more crashes. Vancouver has learned this the hard way. Certain roadway expansions were found to increase traffic volumes but up to 30%, requiring more traffic calming and transit costs in an effort to restore balance.
No amount of nice roads can fix bad habits. Being distracted, impaired and speeding remain the evil threesome of crash causation in Canada. Without consistent enforcement and education, pouring money into road improvements can be futile. No design will stop bad drivers from street racing or applying make-up while going through a school zone.
Glove Box:Do you “double look” when driving? One of the most common things heard by insurance adjusters is: “That car came from nowhere.” So before pulling out, turning left or merging, get into the habit of looking twice. Our brains are wired to miss things we’re not expecting. It’s called inattentional blindness. Forcing that second look tells the brain to search for things, like a bicycle, which you didn’t pick up on the first glance. The extra half second it takes could be a life saver.
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