There is a common misconception that inappropriate overtaking (like this video) is the main cause of head-on crashes. It is not.
Inappropriate overtaking accounts for only around 5% of head-on crashes.
The majority occur because of unintended centreline crossings. These include drift-off lane/road events and overcorrection crashes where the driver never intended to cross the centreline at all.
This distinction matters.
If crashes are largely unintentional, then education and enforcement alone will always struggle.
A Safe System response focuses on trying to stop the crash, but ALSO providing forgiving infrastructure.
Central barrier systems address both. They prevent deliberate and unintentional centreline crossings and dramatically reduce the chance of fatal and serious injury outcomes.
From an international road assessment perspective, they also matter.
Installing a central barrier system is one of the most effective ways to lower risk and increase the Star Rating Score (SRS) in iRAP.
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