The influence of carriageway marking on traffic safety is discussed and the French program for the improvement of road guidance is mentioned. Before and after studies on the influence of the applied measures on the number and severity of accidents are conducted. However, the introduction of speed limits at the same time was a handicap. It was shown that the number of accidents did not decrease in general and that the carriageway-marking increased the disregard of the speed limits. Carriageway is considered an improvement with respect to the comfort of the road user, but provides no improvement with respect to traffic safety, according to the author, because the drivers became more inclined to risk taking. Further research into the psychology of perception is necessary in order to show road users the optimum road course and to influence them to reduce their willingness to risk taking.
Abstract