This report discusses the concept of a structurally safe traffic system. The crucial question is how potential errors occurring in traffic can be reduced by changing the design of road environments. Two aspects play an important role: (1) "inherent safety" and (2) "self-explaining" properties. "Inherent safety" refers to the reduction of potentially dangerous encounters. Traffic systems having "self-explaining" properties are designed in such a way that they are in line with the expectations of the road users. The so-called "Self-Explaining" Road (SER) is a traffic environment which elicits safe behaviour simply by its design. The present study focuses especially on this latter principle. The two safety principles directed towards an enduring safer road environment are applied on rural 80 km/h roads.
Abstract