Is complying with the guidelines mandatory?

In the Netherlands the guidelines for road design are not legally binding. A road authority should, however, have good reasons to deviate from the guidelines as it is responsible for the quality of its roads [35]. In the event of a crash on a road where the guidelines have not been properly applied, the road authority may be held liable. In a possible lawsuit, the road authority must be able to motivate why the guidelines were not complied with. It must also prove that the chosen alternative is at least equally safe.