Passively safe signposts and road safety — the potential interest of a pilot scheme. So-called “passively safe” posts and columns are items of street furniture (signposts, street lighting columns, traffic signal posts, etc.) which present less of a danger in the event of an impact than ordinary versions. These either deform (collapsing around the vehicle and therefore absorbing some of the energy of the impact) or break apart (i.e. they are become detached from their base and are pushed aside). This reduces the level of bodily injury in the event of the post or column being hit. Although common in Scandinavian countries, these kinds of posts and columns are almost nonexistent in France. They are effectively unregulated, and the policy on the treatment of obstacles relies primarily on the use of safety restraints. The Inter-ministerial Committee on Road Safety (CISR) meeting on 18 February 2010 marked a turning point in this policy: for the first time, it recommended encouraging the authorities responsible for the road network to trial new equipment and adapt the regulations to make their development possible. On 28 May 2010, the inter-ministerial representative for road safety official authorised trials of these kinds of posts across the whole of the national road network not under private management for a period of three years, restricted to signposts only. This publication outlines the technical requirements for implementing the policy of making obstacles safer. Its sets out a brief overview of the use of innovative equipment of this kind, including feedback from France and abroad. Finally, it describes the technical aspects of these kinds of equipment and the various advantages of using them, and offers practical advice on installation. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting