Road safety in urban districts - final results of accident studies in the Dutch demonstration projects of the 1970s

In 1977, the Dutch government selected two urban districts, each covering an area of about 100 hectares, for an experiment with traffic controls aimed at a substantial reduction in the disruption of living conditions. The road infrastructure in the two districts, Rijswijk and Eindhoven, was reclassified and reconstructed. The measures employed in reconstructing the districts included directing traffic away from areas where it does not belong; redirection of through traffic, together with speed controls for traffic traveling to these areas; and redirection of through traffic, speed controls and measures which make the environment more attractive. Clear and useful statements on the road safety effects were not possible until five years after the reconstruction, which was completed at the end of 1981. These studies are now complete and are reviewed in this article.