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Safe System Snippet 298: Path-to-Path Intersection Design 

Safe System Snippet 298: Path-to-Path Intersection Design 

Here are some key practices to keep in mind when designing intersections where two paths meet:  Clear Priorities: Establish clear priorities for path users. Consider the volume of users, and if it's low, give priority to the stream most inconvenienced by stopping....

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Safe System Snippet 297: Anti-gawk screens

Safe System Snippet 297: Anti-gawk screens

Anti-gawk screens (also called anti-debris screens) can assist with worksite safety for both workers and the travelling public. They minimize visibility into the worksite to prevent distractions for the road users and shield workers from flying debris. They are...

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Safe System Snippet 296: Stopping Sight Distances (SSD)

Safe System Snippet 296: Stopping Sight Distances (SSD)

During the design process, it’s common to conduct Stopping Sight Distances (SSD) checks.  SSD is the distance to enable a normally alert driver, travelling at the design speed on wet pavement, to perceive, react and brake to a stop before reaching a hazard on the road...

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Safe System Snippet 295: Raised intersections on arterial roads

Safe System Snippet 295: Raised intersections on arterial roads

Raised intersections on arterial roads can reduce casualty crashes by up to 40% (Austroads). In Victoria, large signalised intersections have been raised at over 18 locations (some example photos below).   Raised intersections are also known as platform intersections,...

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Safe System Snippet 293: Bikes and buses

Safe System Snippet 293: Bikes and buses

Bikes and busses – it’s about context.  There has been a lot of industry chatter lately about the appropriateness of different cycling infrastructure around bus stops. Concerns have been raised about the safety of pedestrians accessing the bus (especially those with...

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Safe System Snippet 292: Chevron Alignment Markers (CAMs)

Safe System Snippet 292: Chevron Alignment Markers (CAMs)

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...

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Safe System Snippet 291: The essence of a Safe System approach

Safe System Snippet 291: The essence of a Safe System approach

In this video the driver has a seizure while driving at 100km/h – but they survive because of a Safe System.   A recent Monash University study revealed that up to 9% of MAIS 3+ crashes involve drivers experiencing acute medical conditions like seizures or heart...

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Safe System Snippet 290: Turnaround Bays

Safe System Snippet 290: Turnaround Bays

Check out this turnaround bay on a side road in New Zealand.   As more and more of the road network becomes divided with a central barrier system, turnaround bays provide designated spots for drivers, including those in large vehicles, to safely turn. The bays can be...

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Safe System Snippet 288: Shared path crossings over roads

Safe System Snippet 288: Shared path crossings over roads

There has been a lot of work in recent times to create shared path crossings over roads. This is where both pedestrians and cyclists have priority across a road, and it is marked with a GIVE WAY sign and supplementary ‘to 🚶‍♀️& 🚲’ sign. This is mainly to get...

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Safe System Snippet 287: Pedestrian incidents

Safe System Snippet 287: Pedestrian incidents

Some pedestrian incidents are not necessarily included in the definition of road crash, and are therefore not included in official crash data. This can include obstructions on roads, falls, trips and slips, animal bites and personal security.  The World Health...

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Safe System Snippet 286: A see-through effect

Safe System Snippet 286: A see-through effect

A see-through effect is part of the ‘visual deceit’ family of crash causation. This occurs when a driver or rider misses the requirement to give-way or stop because the road geometry misleads them. It is common at crossroads, where traffic signals are in close...

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Safe System Snippet 285: Right turn onto a pedestrian

Safe System Snippet 285: Right turn onto a pedestrian

Right turn onto a pedestrian is one of the most common crash types for pedestrian death and serious injury at signalised intersections. This occurs when the driver has the ability to filter at the intersection (i.e. they choose when they turn right).  In many...

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Safe System Snippet 284: Higher containment barrier systems

Safe System Snippet 284: Higher containment barrier systems

Higher containment barrier systems are used to protect road users from hazards, but also to protect high value/risk assets like bridge piers, drops onto other roads or railway lines, major electrical or telecommunication assets or areas needing special protection...

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Safe System Snippet 281: Bicycle car dooring collisions

Safe System Snippet 281: Bicycle car dooring collisions

The majority of high severity incidents (deaths and serious injuries) associated with ‘dooring’ is a result of a secondary crash. This is where the initial strike from the door knocks the cyclists into the path of an adjacent vehicle in a traffic lane.   VicRoads,...

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Safe System Snippet 280: Larger turning vehicles offtracking

Safe System Snippet 280: Larger turning vehicles offtracking

Larger turning vehicles exhibit offtracking characteristics. Offtracking is a function of a larger vehicle’s spacing between tyre axles. The maximum distance between a larger vehicle’s front (lead) axle and its rear (trailer) axle determines offtracking. It is...

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