People tend to like driving on rural roads. As opposed to urban roads or motorways, driving on rural roads seems to be more pleasant. Given the choice, if a driver or a motorcyclist is not in a hurry, he or she might prefer to travel on a rural road. The idea of danger or risk does not affect their decision. Ellinghaus’ study (2003) based on a questionnaire to assess drivers’ attitudes shows that road users are normally not aware of the safety risks especially on rural roads. When asked to point out possible dangers on rural roads, drivers tend to think first of narrow curves and cross sections or poor road markings. They tend to underestimate other factors such as roadside obstacles and poor visibility when overtaking that play a big role as well. Therefore, the causes of accidents on rural roads are ignored to a great extent. Tree-lined roads can be beautiful for walking and cycling, but they are potentially dangerous for car drivers or motorcyclists. Road users and most of the road planners or engineers seem to have neglected this problem so far. It is therefore important to draw the attention of all road safety stakeholders to the safety problems on rural roads, and to highlight effective measures that should be implemented in order to improve the situation. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting