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When a barrier fails to contain a vehicle it’s often because the vehicle has vaulted over it. This can occur because of several factors: Older barrier systems: These are typically lower than modern barriers, which have been designed with increased height to account...

Drivers may end up going the wrong way on divided carriageways for a variety of reasons, including: 🚘 Confusion about the road layout🚘 Recklessly taking a shortcut🚘 Police chase scenarios🚘 Thrill-seeking🚘 Impairment🚘 Emergencies🚘 Avoiding traffic There are only a few...

The conversation around vehicle safety often centres on private vehicles and their ability to protect occupants. This focus leaves gaps in our understanding of safety outcomes for mass transit modes like passenger rail and buses. Isolated studies have suggested...

When people imagine a vehicle crashing into a roadside barrier, they often picture a shallow-angle drift-off scenario. However, the reality is that barrier systems are struck at a wide variety of angles. The angle of impact is influenced not only by road geometry but...

Safe System Solutions conducted an evaluation of road user behaviour and their perceptions of safety at the Moray Street protected roundabout. Our evaluation found increased usage by both pedestrians and cyclists, large increases in perceived safety for both road user...

When conducting a Safe System Assessment, one key task is to predict potential crashes and quantify their exposure, likelihood, and severity. This is done using the Safe System Assessment Matrix, which includes separate columns for run-off-road crashes and...

When designing 2+1 and 1+1 roads, the central barrier system prevents overtaking. While this enhances safety, it also creates challenges: drivers stuck behind slower vehicles or eager to speed may resort to dangerous behaviour like undertaking (illegally passing a...

Crash outcomes are significantly influenced by the interplay of speed, mass, and crash angle. The angle of impact between vehicles is particularly important in determining the energy transfer to vehicle occupants. Also, vehicles are not uniformly engineered for...

Ramp down terminals may prevent barrier ends from spearing into errant vehicles, but they come with a significant risk of vaulting. This can result in serious crash outcomes, including rollovers. It's important to note that ramp down terminals haven’t been tested to...

One of the most common crash types resulting in motorcycle injuries, particularly in urban areas, is the ‘right turn against’ crash - when a car turns in front of a motorcyclist traveling straight. This crash type also occurs between cars and with cars and cyclists,...

Two transport modes that continue to grow in volume in urban areas are bikes and trucks. While this presents exciting opportunities for sustainable mobility and economic growth, it also raises concerns about safety. A 2018 study by Pokorny et al., titled: Conflicts...

Cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users in collisions with motor vehicles. A fascinating study, Accident Reconstruction and Assessment of Cyclist’s Injuries Sustained in Car-to-Bicycle Collision (Raslavičius et al., 2017), digs into the biomechanics of these...

Wire Rope Safety Barrier system doing what flexible barrier systems do – saving another life. ————– Follow Safe System Solutions Pty Ltd for more Safe System Snippets

Police vehicles are involved in a significantly higher proportion of emergency vehicle collisions than other emergency services. 55.2% police compared to 10.9% for ambulances and 4.8% for fire brigade vehicles. The unpredictable, high-speed nature of police duties...

 Chevron Alignment Markers (CAMs) are one of the most mis-used signs on the public road network. They should only be used on substandard curves. A minimum of three CAMs are required in a series and two CAMs must be visible to a driver/rider at any one time. To...

Tailgating (following too closely behind another vehicle) creates risks beyond just rear-ends. While rear-end crashes are the most common outcome of tailgating, the risks also include:▪️ Run-off-road crashes: A sudden stop or swerve by the lead vehicle can force the...

Whoever invented the slip-based pole deserves an award. These poles shear at the base when struck, yet withstand torque loads - a simple but brilliant design that has saved thousands of lives and prevented tens of thousands of serious injuries worldwide. We need more...

Working on or near the road is one of the most hazardous environments for any profession. Traffic controllers and road workers face significant risks daily. Their exposure to high-speed traffic, distracted drivers, and unpredictable road conditions are just some of...

Reducing vehicle speeds at large signalised intersections is one of the most effective ways to enhance pedestrian safety. Raised safety platforms (RSPs) offer a proven solution, significantly improving safety for pedestrians and reducing the severity of crashes....

Motorcyclists face a significantly higher risk on the road network compared to other road users. Several factors contribute to this heightened vulnerability: Smaller size and visibility: Motorcycles are harder for drivers to see, especially in blind spots or when...