Historically, the single safety focus at most rural intersections was to stop the vehicle on the side road from pulling out in front of traffic.
And that’s still one of the key considerations.
But the Safe System approach takes it a step further and asks: “What about the bullet vehicle?”
The bullet vehicle is the vehicle on the priority road. The one carrying the kinetic energy that causes the catastrophic harm in a crash.
Traditional treatments often focused almost entirely on the side road driver:
- More signs
- More lines
- More warnings
- More blame if they got it wrong
But Safe System thinking says we should also be looking at ways to manage the speed and impact conditions of the through vehicle.
Because saying: “They shouldn’t have gone” doesn’t undo a fatality.
This can be done in different ways depending on the site and risk:
- Roundabouts
- Raised intersections
- Speed management
- Side Road Activated Speed systems (SRAS) (also referred to as RIAWS or RJAWS)
- Other treatments that influence approach speed and driver response
The objective is not just reducing the likelihood of the crash. It’s also reducing the severity of the crashes that still occur when humans inevitably make mistakes.
Safe System Solutions offers technical training on Side Road Activated Speed systems and rural intersection Safe System treatments. Check it out here.
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