SOCIAL IMPACTS OF HIGHWAY SAFETY

An approach to an interaction model is set up for the components: the road user, the vehicle and the road but also for the traffic environment, the psycho-social situation of the road user, the local, physical environment and the society in total. The basic principle to achieve highway safety is to systematically reduce conflicts and disturbances in the immediate interaction process. In urban and highway planning this can be promoted by a balanced land use organization, traffic separation of different types of road users, classification of roads and streets and simplicity and uniformity in the design of road elements. The societal impact of highway safety measures means not only reducing accidents and costs but also reducing time consumption, operating costs, barriers, noise and other environmental disturbances and the increase of the possibilities for regional development. The impact is illustrated by examining the effects of investments in by-pass roads. The evaluation of various effects have not yet been implied in the full range in the evaluation of highway investments. Further studies will be necessary to improve the evaluation of the societal impact of safety measures and to extend the use of other terms than monetary values. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 860861.