Wide Median Treatments were introduced in Victoria during the 1980s as a way to manage side-road movements at intersections on high-speed, divided rural roads. These treatments use wide medians and deflected paths to highlight the intersection and control vehicle speeds.
Originally designed to address the specific traffic management needs of the time, this intersection form meant that vehicles on the through road did not need to slow when passing the intersection. But road safety approaches have evolved significantly since the 1980s, and with greater emphasis on aligning designs with Safe System principles these treatments will undoubtably lessen in popularity.
The high speed and perpendicular angle of crashes at wide median make them poorly aligned with Safe System principles, and there are also some key factors that increase the likelihood of a crashes at Wide Median Treatments:
- Potential for a driver to confuse the treatment for a roundabout.
- Dynamic visual obstruction from the left turning vehicles (for drivers/riders exiting the side road) and right turning vehicles for vehicles exiting the wide median.
- Potential wrong way driving (as per the video below).
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