By order of the Dienst Verkeerskunde of the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, the current situation around the safety of road side safety constructions in the Netherlands and the possible consequences of a number of future developments were analyzed by SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research. In this context, new developments in traffic circumstances and the application of new materials are reviewed. It appears from accident data that the current safety constructions along motorways are adequate. It is expected that this will also be in the near future, provided that driving speed do not increase significantly or that traffic composition does not change considerably. In the longer term, an almost free maintenance construction method should be designed. Maintenance and reparation activities will increasingly lead to an unacceptable delay and lack of traffic safety as traffic volumes increase. There can also be other reasons which can make the reconsideration or adjustment of the designs necessary, namely: (1) Redesign of the infrastructure can lead to situations in which variants are applied that differ greatly from the current design; and (2) trends in the composition of the vehicle fleet and changing vehicle parts. Development research into safety constructions which can function well under heavy traffic is recommended. Roadside safety structures of non-motorways outside built-up areas have mainly to be considered as a developing area. For this kind of road a different approach is needed. It is recommended to work further on research into placement standards for safety constructions and on the further design of constructions.
Abstract