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The Highway Code
 
The Highway Code is essential reading for everyone. It's rules apply to all road users: pedestrians, horseriders and cyclists, as well as motorcyclists and drivers. 

Road Safety Engineering

Bournemouth Borough Council (as the Highway Authority) is responsible for the management and maintenance of 500 km of highway.  View our Local Transport Plan to see our progress against Road Safety targets set within this plan.

The vast majority of accidents are caused by human error.  These errors are more often than not, the result of a failure to respond in an appropriate manner to the road environment at the time.  Clearly we need to work on driver attitudes and behaviour, but at the same time we can sometimes engineer the environment so that it is either less demanding on the road user, or so that the road user is better equipped to cope.  For example this might be achieved through an engineered reduction in speed or by an engineered environment that is simpler to understand.

Below see some of the solutions available to us. 

Traffic Calming

Most traffic calming schemes combine features that work in conjunction with each other.  The types of traffic calming that are available to us are:

• 20 mph Zones
  The Government advises that 20 mph Zones should be self policing.  Therefore, it is necessary to install supporting traffic calming measures to ensure that speeds are kept at or below 20 mph
• Road Humps
  Road humps are used to slow traffic down and were one of the earliest forms of traffic calming used in this country.  They are a relatively cheap method of slowing traffic down but are not suitable for bus routes and emergency services routes.  Sometimes they can increase traffic noise if vehicles do not maintain a slow speed along the entire length of the road but accelerate and decelerate between the humps.
• Speed Tables
  These are similar to road humps but have a flat top and are longer.  They are often used at junctions and sometimes as crossing points for pedestrians or cyclists.
• Speed Cushions
  Raised rectangular areas, there can be one, two or three cushions, depending on the width of the road.  They are designed to minimise impact on larger vehicles such as buses and fire engines and give emergency vehicles a smoother journey.
• Build Outs
  Kerbs are built out into the road to make the road narrower and slow traffic down.  They reduce the road width that pedestrians have to cross and improve their visibility.  They highlight hazardous sites and prevent parking at that location.  However, they can be awkward for cyclists and large vehicles.  Bollards and lighting are often needed to warn approaching vehicles. 

If build outs are used alternately in pairs, they provide chicanes, further reducing vehicle speeds.

• Rumble Strips
  Rumble strips alert the driver by means of a change in the road surface that sounds and feels different to the normal surface.  They are more appropriate as a warning of a specific feature than as a speed reducing measure.  They are generally used where remote to residential properties to reduce noise pollution.
• Traffic Islands or Pedestrian Refuges
  Traffic islands are situated in the middle of the road to help pedestrians cross the road, reduce vehicle speeds and prevent overtaking.  They can only be used where the road is sufficiently wide enough to allow vehicles to pass safely.
• Mini Roundabouts
  These can slow traffic down at junctions, but are most effective if each arm has a similar flow of traffic.  They are generally used on roads with speed limits of 30mph or less and take up less space than conventional roundabouts.
• One-Way Roads
  One-way roads can be very effective, particularly on narrow streets.  However, they can lead to faster traffic speeds and attract new traffic as well as increasing traffic on surrounding streets where motorists prevented by the restrictions are redirected.
• Road Closures
  These are permanent road physical closures to stop traffic ‘rat running’.  Emergency services access needs to be considered before any road is closed.  Resident’s journey lengths may increase and traffic may just use other residential roads in the area.

Speed & Red Light Cameras (Safety Cameras)
 

Please visit the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership website which contains much more detail and an up-to-date listing of all likely camera locations. 

Home Zones
 

We will install physical measures to slow traffic in residential areas and near schools.  As well as traditional traffic calming features and 20 mph zones, we are investigating the use of Home Zones.  Home Zones are streets that have been treated with a variety of measures to enhance the environment and give greater priority to pedestrians, restricting vehicular access and keep vehicle speeds below 20 mph.

Skid Resistant Surfacing
 

Special surface treatments are available which raise the skid resistance of a road surface well above standard conditions.  These treatments are expensive but effective, particularly on the approach to roundabouts, signal junctions and other locations where skidding can be a problem.

We will use these surfacing materials to treat sites where the road surface is adequate but skidding accidents continue to occur.

Pedestrian Facilities
 

We will endeavour to give pedestrians a higher status on our highway network than they have enjoyed in the past.

We will pay particular attention to pedestrian accident patterns and try to provide appropriate facilities for their safe use of the highway.  We will cater for the visually impaired with tactile paving and we will use pedestrian refuges, safety barriers and any other infrastructure both to reduce traffic speeds and provide safe crossing opportunities.

Cycle Facilities & Crossings
 

Cyclists can be particularly vulnerable on our urban road network.

We will try to provide attractive off road routes for cyclists who would like to keep away from traffic but we will also seek to improve safety for those cyclists who want to remain on the network.  We will provide cycle lanes, advance cycle stop lines, cycle gateways etc. wherever these facilities might reduce accidents and improve the conditions for cyclists.

Traffic Management
 
Traffic Management is really a discipline rather than an engineering solution in itself, however the term is often used to describe all those techniques that help to control, manage and regulate the impact of traffic, particularly in urban areas.  Techniques range from parking control to traffic routing and direction signing.  The planning and management of traffic in urban areas is essential to the safety of our road network.  We will continue to make effective use of traffic management as a tool for casualty reduction as well as congestion management.

Traffic Control / Signals

Traffic signals regulate uncontrolled junctions and give appropriate space and time to all users of the junction, whether motorised or pedestrian.  They separate traffic movements, thereby reducing the potential for vehicles to collide.  We will continue to make effective use of traffic signals as a tool for casualty reduction as well as congestion management. 

Interactive Signs 

Interactive signs are a way of reminding motorists of speed limits, hazards, etc.  We will, where appropriate, use such signs to reinforce the road safety message and advise motorists of traffic incidents. Interactive Car Park signs will also advise of current car park occupancy, directing drivers to available spaces.

Safer Routes to School 

Sustainability is probably the principal aim of safe routes projects but it is most likely that some will identify problems requiring engineering solutions.  Additional funding has become available for safe routes projects and this area of work is likely to increase in importance.   Examples of such work include school crossing patrol strips, footway resurfacing and junction improvements to encourage children to walk to school.

Streetlighting 

The night time environment is a particularly vulnerable period for users of the highway.  Although 30% of all injury accidents occur during the hours of darkness, traffic volumes account for only about 16% of daily totals.  Additionally, 12.5% of night injury accidents result in fatal or serious injury compared with 8% of day injury accidents.  These statistics clearly indicate the potential of street lighting as an accident remedial treatment.

Road Maintenance 

Whilst we are committed to achieving road safety benefits from traffic calming, interactive signs, high friction surfacing etc., we also recognise that the cost of maintaining this type of infrastructure is not insignificant.  Good maintenance is important to maintain the safe use of our highways and we need to be careful not to provide facilities that are beyond our ability to maintain.

Road Safety Audit 

Bournemouth regularly carries out Road Safety Audits on highway improvement schemes.  Lessons learnt are fed back into the audit and design process.  We will audit all schemes affecting the road network, including post-implementation monitoring. 

In addition to the safety audit work undertaken by the Borough Council we also require all private developers proposing highway works under a section 106 agreement, to obtain an independent safety audit as part of their scheme project management.

Contact Us
 

To contact us about any Road Safety issues please either

Email: highways@bournemouth.gov.uk

Tel: 01202 451199 (during office hours),
Or   01202 451145 (outside office hours)
Fax: 01202 451007