RSA | Crash Assessment and Countermeasures
Drivers had been frequently disregarding emergency signals at a Fire Station. These signals default to on (green) when not in emergency activation phase. In addition, drivers frequently strike a constructed central island and signal pedestal. A consultant provided a series of recommendations including a “Prepare to Stop” flashing warning signage. The audit team agreed with the majority of the consultant’s recommendations, but did not agree with the notion that the sole issue was ‘visibility of the signals’. The team believed that the issues needed further unpacking into:
- Visibility of traffic signals
- Driver response to traffic signals (regardless of whether they are visible)
- Why drivers might be impacting with the central pedestal
The audit team was keen to point out that these three issues might not be correlated, i.e., improving signal visibility might not improve driver response to the signal. Ultimately, the audit team did not agree with the design which saw the reinstatement of the median signal. The audit team believed that the risk of motorists impacting the central pedestal will not be mitigated by the other improvements such as improving signal visibility and improving driver awareness of the traffic signals. Reasoning was of course provided. It concluded that the central pedestal was of low-value and likely to continue to be hit by motorists.
