engleski

Contribution of the road rehabilitation to traffic safety

Sudden increase in the number of vehicles during the past decade caused a rapid degradation of the present categorized road network, and as consequence, more traffic accidents. Three factors are important for traffic safety: traffic participants, vehicles and roads. According to statistics, 94% of traffic accidents in Croatia are the result of driver or pedestrian errors, i.e. traffic participants. The remaining 6% includes situations of sudden danger, unclear traffic signs and markings, sudden vehicle breakdown etc. Results of the fast developing car industry are good quality cars with improved performance and safety. Unfortunately this development is in discrepancy with conditions of damaged road surface, road geometry designed for smaller speeds. One of the most frequent mistakes that drivers make is speed which is not adjusted to the road conditions. Since, from the engineering point of view, it is not possible to influence the conscience of drivers, only good quality traffic surfaces, correct geometry and clear traffic signs and markings can contribute to better and safer driving conditions and decrease mistakes on drivers. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of state roads, pavement structure strengthening, and corrections in the engineering – technical road elements (layout elements, gradeline, crossfall, pavement widening) ensure a longer service life, better level of service and higher safety level of roads. Depending on the condition of pavement structure, (evenness, skid resistance, cracks, bearing capacity...) and depending on the available funds, different rehabilitation strategies are applied. This paper shall focus on experience in state road reconstruction and rehabilitation in Croatia, gained until now, and this shall be illustrated with concrete examples. Comparison of data on traffic accidents prior and after road rehabilitation serves to analyze the applied improvements and their direct influence of traffic safety.

roads&highways; safety&hazards

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