This report is an evaluation of the safety effects of staggering of stop lines. The report is financed by The Danish Road Directorate’s fund “Fund for more bicycle traffic”. Staggering of stop lines mean that the motor vehicles stop line has been pulled back so that the bicycles have an advanced stop line compared to the motor vehicles. Staggered stop lines are recommended in the Danish Road Regulations in connection with signal-controlled junctions as a measure to reduce the number of accidents between right-turning motor vehicles and straight-going bicycles/mopeds (accident situation 312 — see “Figur 2”, page 15) at the initial phase of the green light interval after both parties having stopped on red. Previous national and international studies investigating staggered stop lines indicate that these have an effect on the number of occurred accidents — especially 312-accidents. The studies, however, are based on very limited data and/or situations where the staggered stop lines were implemented together with other measures, making it difficult to isolate the effect. Previous studies also suggest that the motor vehicles respect the staggered stop line to virtually the same extent as they did before the stop lines were pulled back. At the same time, the capacity of the junctions is reduced by approximately 1% after implementation of staggered stop lines. This report provides a before-after accident study of 123 signal-controlled junctions with staggered stop lines in 189 of the arms implemented in the period 1997-2009. The junctions investigated are located in five municipalities: Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Gentofte, Herlev and Aalborg, out of which 106 are located in Copenhagen. No other reconstructions have been implemented in the junctions. In total, 1,313 accidents with 412 personal injuries have been included in the study. 312-accidents between a bicycle/moped and a motor vehicle entering from an arm, where the stop line has been staggered, represent 110 of the 1,313 accidents as well as 42 of the personal injuries. (Author/publisher) This report may be accessed by Internet users at http://trafitec.dk/publikationer/2012/sikkerhedseffekter-af-tilbagetruk…
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