Environmental quality, the appropriation of spaces and facilities, the self-explaining design and the understanding of the functioning of the surrounding space are closely linked. The overall perception (landscape, aesthetics) influences ethologically determined, constant behaviour patterns (types of driving) and cultural backgrounds (mental representations) to induce the driver to adjust his behaviour (identification, understanding, appropriation, anticipation). Environmental quality, particularly landscape quality, is thus closely co-related with road safety. Safety must therefore be approached as resultant of a complex system with multiple interactions involving the new facility, its environment, its perception and legibility, the regulations, and the user's psychology. This paper deals with the experience in France, and with the innovative approaches developed in the last few years, which led to a new approach in the design of the facilities, in order to account for the actual behaviour of the various users, and to modify them so that they are better suited for the constraints and realities of driving situations. This kind of approach attemps to create, through the very design of the solutions, global traffic and behaviour conditions which are better adapted and less accident-generating. The results obtained are very satisfactory; in particular, it is noted that speeding has almost disappeared, that there are less accidents and that these are less serious, even many years later. As a conclusion, if safety is indeed a complex problem which is difficult and lengthy to deal with, it is through the joint effort of all, and in particular of those in charge of road design, technicians but also psycho-pysiologists, environmentalists and landscapers, that significant results can be obtained. The knowledge and the techniques do exist, their application requires a commitment by the decision makers and a thorough and fine work by the road specialists. But this effort is worth while. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD no 207828. The reprints are also available at the web - http://www.vti.se/pdf/reports/K18APart1.pdf; http://www.vti.se/pdf/reports/K18APart2.pdf and http://www.vti.se/pdf/reports/K18APart3.pdf.
Samenvatting