Is the blind spot getting safer? : a proposal for monitoring the blind spot issue. Blind spot crashes are crashes in which a truck that turns off to the right crashes into a vulnerable road user who goes straight on. The casualties are often cyclists. In the period 2007-2010, blind spot crashes involving cyclists were responsible for an average of 7 fatalities per year. This is a reduction by more than half in comparison with previous years. The number of serious road injuries seems to remain stable. This report discusses the blind spot issue and a plan for monitoring the developments in this area. The monitoring will need to focus on the developments in relation with the magnitude of the problem (number of blind spot crashes) as well as on the measures to reduce the number of blind spot crashes. In 2008, SWOV presented a long-term outlook to what was then called the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management and proposed a set of four concrete measures. This was done with a blind spot crash analysis as a basis. In the meanwhile, the Ministry has taken action on many points. Monitoring should indicate to which extent the measures that were proposed by SWOV have actually been or are being implemented. An answer to the question whether these measures have resulted in behaviour changes also requires further research. Broadly speaking, monitoring needs to be carried out of the following topics: ? development of the number of casualties in blind spot crashes; ? infrastructural adaptations, e.g. relocating halt lines or give-way road-markings and the construction of an expanded bicycle streaming lane; ? determining behaviour changes have taken place in cyclists and in truck drivers; ? location and use of front view mirrors. Further research into the blind spot issue can make use of experts who have been active in the former Amsterdam blind spot platform. It is also advisable to follow international developments and enter into international cooperation in research projects.
Samenvatting