Changing speed signs is only one small part of making roads safe. At the top of the World Bank’s list is developing comprehensive public transport systems.
I’m receiving more and more emails from readers about how hard it’s becoming to follow the rules of the road in this region — specifically about speed limits.
It prompted me to look at evidence-based practices which actually make the most difference in road safety. One study, conducted by the World Bank in 2021, stood out — not only because it was so thorough but also because it went beyond analytics and number crunching — showing in plain language what works and what doesn’t.At the top of the World Bank’s list is developing comprehensive public transport systems.
Head on smash-ups are the worst of the worst in the collision hierarchy. Central medians then are highly effective in preventing these kinds of mishaps. It’s unfortunately a common occurrence on our island highways. Head on collisions mean that the vehicles involved hit each other at the combined speed of their original velocities. That means that the impact force can be momentous even at relatively low speeds.
Interestingly physically separated bike lanes were only rated as “effective” — one level below “high effective” in the World Bank study. Despite protective infrastructure, bicycles are still vulnerable to “right hook” collisions at intersections. This happens when a cyclist goes straight through an intersection but the car in the lane beside turns right just as the cyclist is passing through. Each year, there are scores of cycling fatalities North America wide as a result of the “right hook.
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