Strategies
Should mistakes be fatal? Should you or anyone else lose their life today because of a mistake? We can reduce the consequences of human error through the Safe System Approach.
You can use the Safe System Roadway Design Hierarchy to achieve safety goals, prioritize countermeasures and choose strategies when developing transportation projects. When engineering, design, planning and infrastructure come together to proactively prevent and mitigate severe crashes, we can reduce life-changing injuries or death on our roads.
Tier 1: Remove severe conflicts
Proactively remove crossing conflicts and fixed objects alongside the road, and provide physical separation between people walking and biking and driving
- Roundabouts
- Diverging diamond interchange
- Separated bike lane
- Cable median barrier
Tier 2: Reduce vehicle speeds
Design self-enforcing roads that encourage people to travel at reasonable speeds, and set appropriate speed limits to reduce the risks drivers pose to others and to themselves.
- Raised crosswalks
- Speed humps
Tier 3: Manage conflicts in time
Managing conflicts in time means road users may need to use the same space, but safety improves when traffic control devices separate them by time. Examples include:
- Leading pedestrian intervals
- Pedestrian hybrid beacons
- Left turn phasing
Tier 4: Increase attentiveness and awareness
Design roads to alert road users of potential conflicts, so they can respond safely:
- Enhanced pavement markings
- Rumble strips
- Dynamic speed signs