On the German autobahn (motorway) there are sections which previously had two or three lanes and a hard shoulder. With an increase in traffic load the carriageway has been remarked and the hard shoulder been used as an extra traffic lane. The aim of the presented research is to investigate these sections with regard to accident development, the quality of traffic operations and the impact on road maintenance and operating services. The accident analysis was a traditional before and after study and a study of the type of accidents before and after the remarking. The quality of the traffic operations were analysed using speed measurements, observations of the use of traffic lanes, measurements of traffic volumes and with a consideration of the frequency of traffic jams.
Samenvatting