Road Safety

Road traffic safety refers to methods and

measures for reducing the risk of a person
using the road network being killed or
seriously injured.

Road Safety
Road safety is a very important aspect of
modern life.
There has been a rapid increase in the levels of deaths
occurring due to road accidents all over the world.
The roads can be quite unpredictable and disastrous
accidents can happen as a result of minor and seemingly
small mistakes or errors.
Due to the fast pace of modern life, most
commuters are in a hurry to get to their destination.
They do not pay much attention to traffic rules
and road safety and do whatever they wish to do
on the roads.

Road Users
Pedestrians
Cyclists
Motorists and their passengers,
Passengers of on-road public transport,
mainly buses and trams

Pedestrians on Roads
Pedestrians form a major chunk of road
users killed in road accidents.
Major victims are children below 16 years of
age.
Elderly pedestrians though less involved in
accidental deaths, are more likely to die after
being struck.

Causes:
1. Alcohol impairment:
Most of the adult
pedestrian's death
occurs because of this.
When under the
influence of alcohol,
drivers loose the ability
to take any decisive
action resulting in
unfortunate crashes.

 2. Heavy vehicular
traffic: In central city
areas volume of
vehicular traffic is high
and pedestrian activity
is also concentrated,
compelling pedestrians
to scuttle between
vehicles to cross the
road.

 3. Absence of ample space for

pedestrians: On certain roads the
roads are so narrow that vehicles and
pedestrians move side by side. In such
cases pedestrians are at high risk of
getting hit for they are not visible to
drivers coming from behind.

 4. Traffic violations: In most

cases speeding vehicles crush
the pedestrians because faster
the vehicle is traveling lesser is
the time for the driver to take
corrective action, and in such
collisions chances of death are
higher. Sometimes red light
violation by the vehicle drivers
becomes a cause of
pedestrian's death.

 5. Lack of pedestrian
discipline: Pedestrians
tend to cross the road
anywhere, anytime. They
just dart out to cross
roads, least bothered of
the traffic situation.

As a vehicle driver you should:

1. Obey traffic signals.
2. Drive in a prescribed speed limit
3. Be alert regarding pedestrians
while taking turns, especially right
turns at red lights.
4. Avoid driving after getting drunk or
if under medication

Pedestrians! Make Yourself Safe

a) Walk on pavements, not on the
road.
b) Walk facing the oncoming traffic
when there are no pavements, so that
you can see what is coming towards
you.
c) Ensure your visibility to vehicle
drivers, especially at night. Wear light
colored clothes such as yellow and
white, which are easier to see at night
or pin reflectors to your clothes.

 d) Think ahead and plan the safest

route to school, market, your friend's
homes.
e) If you can walk but cannot run,
make sure you carry a bright colored
walking stick when you cross the road
so that drivers are careful and slow
down.
f) Follow the six-step crossing code
whenever you have to cross the
road:

Six-step crossing code

1. THINK
What is a safe place to cross ?
Where can I see all the traffic properly ?
Make sure you are not hidden behind a parked car.
2. STOP At the edge of the road where you have decided
to cross.
3. LOOK & LISTEN Look both ways, many time, to see if
there is any traffic coming.
4. WAIT For all the traffic to pass, and for road to be clear.
5. CROSS Walk straight across the road.
6. KEEP LOOKING & LISTENING Keep looking in all
directions as you cross the road until you get to the other
side.

SAFE WAYS OF RIDING MOTORIZED

TWO-WHEELERS (MTWs)
The motorized two-wheeler rider is the one most
likely to sustain serious injuries no matter what
he hits- a pedestrian, a cat or another vehicle.
This is because he is traveling at a speed more
than 15 kmph without any protection around,
and the human body is not able to tolerate
forces generated when the head or any other
bone hits hard and rigid objects at speed higher
than 15 kmph.

Avoid Accident
Speed control
In most cases accidents are the direct result of
fast driving because the one who is driving faster
gets lesser time to take corrective action and
lesser control over the vehicle.

 Conspicuity:
MTW riders should make themselves and their
vehicles as visible as possible especially at night.
Yellow and orange are the only colors visible both in
day and at night.
Wear vests or jackets and helmets of these colors.
Paste reflective strips on all sides of the helmet and
at the front, back and sides of your vehicle.
During daytime you can make your presence felt by
keeping your headlights on.

Helmets
Every time you go out for a drive, wear a
helmet properly strapped below the chin
Helmets are very effective in reducing the
severity of head injuries in a crash.

Facts about Helmet

It does not obstruct vision.
It does not interfere with hearing.
It does not build up dangerous
temperatures inside the helmet.
It does not cause fatigue which causes
crashes.
It does not cause skin diseases.
It does not increase the probability of
neck injuries.

Preventing Road Accidents

1) As a pedestrian on the road, make sure
to strictly follow the countrys rules
regarding which side of the road to walk
on.
In some countries, the law may ask
pedestrians to walk on the left
side of the road while in other to
walk on the right side of the road.
Doing so will reduce chances of
getting hit by a vehicle
considerably.

2) As a vehicle owner and a regular driver,

one should never attempt to overtake
another vehicle from the wrong side.
This is possibly the most common
cause of accidents all over the
world. The driver should give
proper indicators when changing
lanes and honk before
overtaking any other vehicle.

3) Make sure that the seat belt is on at all

times no matter what. If driving a twowheeler, it is important to always have a
strong, sturdy helmet on when aboard it.
It has been observed that most
people who drive two wheelers meet
a certain death when they have an
accident not wearing a helmet. On
the other hand, if they are wearing a
helmet and then meet with an
accident, they keep their skull
protected and escape death, only
suffering from injuries that they can
eventually recover from.

4) Stick to the speed limits in the area as these

limits have been devised by the local
authorities keeping the features of the area in
mind.
The average speed of the traffic may
have been measured and it is best to
stick to this speed to thwart off
accidents. Being a maniac on the road
can result in not only death but can also
threaten the lives of those around .

5) Keep the local weather news in mind when going

onto the roads.
If are attempting to make a long car journey but
hear that there is going to be stormy or rainy
weather, it is best to put off the journey until it
clears up.
Also avoid driving in extreme foggy or rainy
conditions.
This is because in such cases, the
visibility is extremely low and it is
common knowledge that when you are
not able to see the road ahead clearly,
you are likely to meet with accidents.

What are traffic signs ?

Traffic signs or road signs are signs
erected at the side of or above roads to
provide information to road users.
The earliest signs were simple wooden or
stone milestones. Later, signs with
directional arms were introduced.

 Many countries have adopted pictorial signs or

otherwise simplified and standardized their signs
to facilitate international travel where language
differences would create barriers, and
to help enhance traffic safety.

Such pictorial signs use symbols (often

silhouettes) in place of words and are usually
based on international protocols.
Such signs were first developed in Europe, and
have been adopted by most countries to varying
degrees.

Categories of Traffic Signs

Annexe 1 of the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and
Signals (1968), which on 30 June 2004 had 52 signatory
countries, defines eight categories of signs:
A. Danger warning signs
B. Priority signs
C. Prohibitory or restrictive signs
D. Mandatory signs
E. Special regulation signs
F. Information, facilities, or service signs
G. Direction, position, or indication signs
H. Additional panels

Warning Sign
A traffic warning sign is a type of traffic sign
that indicates a hazard ahead on the road that
may not be readily apparent to a driver.
In most countries, they usually take the shape of
an equilateral triangle with a white background
and a thick red border. However, both the color
of the background and the color and
thickness of the border varies from country
to country.

 Warning signs can indicate any potential

hazard, obstacle or condition requiring
special attention. Some of the most
common warning signs are the following

Diamond shaped with yellow

background and black border

Triangular with red border and

white background

Triangular with red border and

yellow background

Priority signs
Priority traffic signs indicate the order in
which vehicles should pass intersection
points.
Common examples are the Give Way
sign

Prohibitory signs
Prohibitory traffic signs are used to
prohibit certain types of manoeuvres or
some types of traffic.
No entry
No parking
No U-turn,
No right, no left turn
No overtaking

Prohibitory signs

Mandatory signs
Mandatory signs are road signs which are used
to set the obligations of all traffic which use a
specific area of road.
Unlike prohibitory or restrictive signs, mandatory
signs tell traffic what it must do, rather than must
not do.
Most mandatory road signs are circular, may
use white symbols on a blue background with
white border or black symbols on a white
background with a red border, although the latter
is also associated with prohibitory signs.

Mandatory signs

Special Regulation sign

Special regulation signs are road signs which
are used to indicate a regulation or danger
warning applying to one or more traffic lanes,
indicate to lanes reserved for buses, indicate the
beginning or end of a built-up area or signs
having zonal validity.
Special regulation signs are usually square or
rectangle with a blue ground and a light coloured
symbol or inscription or with a light coloured
ground and a dark coloured symbol or
inscription.

Begin pedestrian zone

End pedestrian zone

Information, facilities, or service signs

Direction, position, or indication sign

A direction sign, more fully defined as a
direction, position, or indication sign
Any road sign used primarily to give information
about the location of either the driver or possible
destinations, and
Are considered a subset of the informative signs
group.
Direction signs are far more varied
internationally than other classes of sign

THANK YOU..