Abstract
Motor vehicles completing u-turning manoeuvres in front of oncoming trams through open medians present a road safety hazard with potentially fatal outcomes. Factors contributing to the crash occurrence have been identified, along with many potential solutions. The incompatibility of the mass and speed of the two vehicles suggests only two of the identified solutions are capable of producing fundamental gains towards Yarra Trams’ Zero Harm focus: physical separation of the two conflicting movements through the closure of median openings or grade-separation; or the strategic reduction of posted speed limits of trams at specific locations to maximise the potential to avoid the crash. (Author/publisher)