Collisions between vehicles leaving the road and unforgiving roadside objects such as trees, poles, road signs and other street furniture are a major road safety problem internationally. Such collisions contribute to between 18 and 42 per cent of fatal accidents in several EU countries. They are typically single vehicle accidents often involving young drivers, excess or inappropriate speed, the use of alcohol or driver fatigue. A further problem with street furniture arises where accidents are caused through visibility restrictions due to poor siting of off-road objects. Research and experience indicate that the siting and design of off-road objects can play a major role in reducing such collisions and the severe consequences that are typically associated with them. The principles for minimising the occurrence and mitigating the severity of vehicle occupant injury in collisions with street furniture have universal application but are not yet being widely applied. This briefing provides an outline of the scale of the problem in a number of European countries. It examines the variety of effective approaches being used to improve the siting and design of street furniture with reference to the published literature and addresses policy implications at European, national and local levels. It is aimed at all with responsibilities for the siting and design of street furniture on roads in EU countries. (A)
Abstract