In the context of discussions on the evaluation of safety measures, this paper discusses indicators other than the obvious changes in accidents, speeds and so on. Some thoughts on the nature of safety evaluation are discussed, followed by illustrative data on road user behaviour and community attitudes, including reference to a current programme aimed at raising community awareness of neighbourhood safety. A proposed procedure for a wide-ranging assessment of local street treatments is briefly described. Finally, conclusions are drawn on two significant points: that road user behaviour is more than a surrogate for safety in the evaluation, and that the link between road user behaviour (particularly vehicle (particularly vehicle speed) and accidents needs to be more firmly quantified. (A)
Samenvatting