Guidance on median and centreline treatments to reduce head-on casualties.

This report presents a compendium of local and overseas practice and experience in minimising the risk and severity of head-on crashes. It is intended to assist road safety practitioners identify effective actions that can be taken to reduce the incidence and severity of such crashes, with a focus on median and centreline treatments. While the body discusses road engineering measures that address the safe roads and speeds pillars of the Safe System framework, some details on methods to address the safe vehicles and road users pillars are included in Appendix B. In addition to discussing well-proven methods to address head-on crashes, this report also presents some innovative treatments for which there is currently insufficient data to confirm their benefits. Nonetheless, these methods are expected to be effective in reducing head-on crashes, and may be of benefit in situations where the site crash history does not justify the expense associated with more established treatments. Opportunities for further research to confirm benefits of specific treatments have been highlighted. Appendix A presents an at-a-glance overview of the road engineering based treatments discussed earlier in this report, including crash modification factors, indicative costs and typical characteristics that may inform the decision to adopt this treatment. Where information has yet to be obtained or is limited, the table also identifies areas of research that could benefit our understanding of road safety solutions. As with all Austroads guidance documents, this report serves to present an overview of the available treatment options only. The reader is advised to consult with the relevant local jurisdiction for the crash modification factors, costs and treatment lives used for local cost-benefit analysis methods, as well as any specific policies or design specifications pertaining to this treatment for that jurisdiction. The reader is also advised to consult with the manufacturer for any product-specific requirements. (Author/publisher)