Snelheidsgedrag automobilisten op spoorwegovergangen. In opdracht van Railinfrabeheer B.V.

As part of a large-scale project to improve the safety at railway level crossings in the Netherlands, a number of speed-reducing measures has been implemented. Under commission of Railinfrabeheer B.V. a study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of these measures. On the basis of video-recordings on the spot, the speed of free-driving passenger cars (about 100 for each measurement period) is determined and the measures are evaluated by comparing the results of the before measurement with two after measurements (one shortly after implementation and one a few months later). The measures included cross-sectional rumble strips or speed humps in front of the stop-line, a solid white marking or physical median as a separation of two-way traffic, and the separation of slow and fast traffic at the railway level crossing. The results show that rumble strips don't give a speed-reducing effects, neither in built-up nor rural areas. Speed humps reduce the speed of free-driving motorists by about 9 to 15 km/h. The clearance speed of road traffic at the level crossing remains acceptable with a value of at least 25 km/h. This effect remains constant until at least a few months after installation. Within built-up areas (speed-limit 50 km/h), a solid white centre line to separate two-way traffic at the railway level crossing reduces the speed with about 2.5 km/h. A physical median does not add to that. In rural areas (speed limit 80 km/h) a median reduces the speed with about 2.5 km/h, whereas a white centre line is not effective in reducing speed. Removing slow traffic from the carriageway increases the speed of free-driving motorists with about 3 km/h. It is concluded that rumble strips are not effective in reducing speed, whereas speed humps appear to be very effective. A median at the railway level crossing reduces the speed in both built-up and rural areas. A solid white centre line only works in built-up areas. The separation of slow and fast traffic at the railway level crossing is contra-productive for speed reduction. (A)