It may be known that the attention of the authorities is moving to residential areas where traffic safety research is concerned. The analysis of the lack of traffic mostly concerns accidents. In general, however, there are relatively few accidents in residential areas. Only one third of all accidents in the Netherlands is registered. The necessary time to gather a sufficient number of accident data is in many cases too long. The conditions and circumstances can change in that time. The manoeuvres preceding an accident are normally not registered. In view of these facts it is not surprising that near accidents and near misses are used as they give much more data. This method is called the conflict method. It covers the observation as well as the analysis of behaviour leading to the near accidents.
Abstract