The Netherlands has adopted the principle that an urban area should be divided functionally into traffic areas and residential areas. In traffic areas, traffic flow is the priority, and safety is sought mainly by separating incompatible traffic modes. In residential areas, priority is given to residential activities including walking, access is allowed only to local traffic, and safety is sought by integrating traffic modes. Starting from this principle, various types of solution have been developed and applied, and most of their effects on road safety have been evaluated. This paper outlines road safety problems inside residential areas, then presents the principles underlying a functional, safety-oriented specification of the urban infrastructure, including its road network. The following practical applications are discussed, together with some results of studies assessing their safety: (1) pedestrian priority in residential areas; (2) 30kph zones; (3) area-wide urban safety plans; and (4) new types of roundabout. Finally, the concept of `sustainable urban traffic safety', by systematic application of safety principles, is discussed.
Abstract