Intersection Designs: Ensuring Safety and Functionality

This report discusses the problems related to intersections, with a focus on factors of risk and traffic security. It covers intersection design factors, safety measures, and unconventional designs. The document emphasizes the importance of user perception and beliefs about safety at intersections.

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Intersection design and operation
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Introduction
The very complex procedure of exploiting roads, or the traffic process relies upon numerous
factors, and among which, very imperative are the ensuring safety and functional components of
the road. Planning and structuring the road elements is an incredibly mind-boggling process that
ought to be directed as per clearly defined standards and principles (Czarnecki, 2018). The
sequencing of events from plan to development of every road includes various explicit activities,
for example, inspecting, supervision, specialized acknowledgment, which basically have a
preventive character and which ought to add to better quality and usefulness of elements of the
road, and more secure and progressively proficient traffic stream (Lim , 2018). Notwithstanding
the abovementioned, during the time spent in road exploitation and parts of functional elements,
we have outlined procedures, for example, repair and maintenance, reconstruction, recovery, that
essentially have a remedial effect and furthermore altogether influence the traffic safety(Alfasi,
2018). This report discusses in depth the problems related to intersections with majorly
emphasizing on factors of risk at connection points and road entrances as far as traffic security is
concerned.
Discussion
The design and implementation choice of any intersection is a driving factor in ensuring the
safety of users and the roads. It is also a key factor in ensuring that roads are accessible and
passable thus ensuring a continuous traffic flow. Most countries provide a guideline for
designing and implementation of the intersection. The lack of guidelines in other regions has led
to the wrong design which has led to massive road accidents, injuries and even death of road
users.

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SAFETY MEASURES TO MINIMIZE ACCIDENTS AT INTERSECTIONS
Intersection design factors to be considered During Intersection design and Operation
Human factors
This is factors relating to road users that is, pedestrians, drivers and cyclist. This includes habits
of the drivers, the decision selection ability of drivers, expectation so the drivers and other users,
conformity to road paths and sections, road use habits by pedestrians, traffic, use of bicycles and
habits (Rahman,2019).
Considerations to traffic and safety of users
Modelling and the carrying capacity, movements and turning designs, speeds of vehicles,
previous problems and the movement of cyclist and pedestrians along the intersections (Ma et al
2018)
Intersection area functioning
Describes how the intersection is to be used to improve movement and safety. Distancing in
terms of manoeuvre, queuing and decision and reaction
Physical factors
Topographical factors, usage of land, geometrical factors of intersections, tools and techniques of
controlling traffic flow and safeness.
Intersection designs
There are various techniques implemented on various roads in trying to ensure the security of
intersections. These techniques are discussed below;
Roundabouts
They are receiving greater attention when it comes to designing road intersections. Policies have
even been set to ensure a streamlined and uniform procedure when designing and implementing
roundabouts (Tarko, 2018). Such guidelines are referenced from the FHWA roundabout
reference manual, which is a guide for the design, construction and use of roundabouts.
The manual gives the roundabout as an optional design when coming up with intersections. The
manual highlights key factors when coming up with roundabouts. these factors include Planning
phase, policy formulation, geometrical design and the operational use of roundabouts
(Sachs,2018).

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The planning phase includes a feasibility study, cost estimation, design issues and time
constraints. The second section that is policy, discusses when actually the implementation of a
roundabout is necessary
Managing intersection access
This is a major factor that impacts the design and safety of intersections. The access of an
intersection also impacts traffic control and problems related to road capacity. The best way to
come up with a non-conflicting and erroneous access system is by evaluating the potential risks
associated with intersections.
There are several documentations on access management that can be used as a guide in ensuring
a safe access system (Jaramillo & Nualart, 2019). An example is the Highway Capacity Manual
which emphasizes the reduction of access points and including a non-traversable median. The
non-traversal intersections are more recommended because they are aimed at reducing head-on
collision crashes, the difference in speed and conflicts arising from left turns between cyclist and
pedestrians.
Unconventional intersection designs
This is tools used to come up with unconventional intersections which are a major consideration
in improving traffic along arterials. The designs are grouped and listed in accordance with the
method of grade separation.
These alternative designs include;
Jughandle
Bowties
Continuous flow
Paired intersections
Modern roundabout
Continuous green T
Median U-turn unsignalized
Median u-turns signalized
Unsignalized inside left turn
Superstreet unsignalized
Superstreet signalized

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Pedestrians and cyclist safety at the intersection
Numerous publications are provided that enumerate the design issues related to pedestrians on
intersections. Below are some of the safety design factors for pedestrians;
Crosswalks
These include marked and unmarked crosswalks. Checked crosswalks ought to be given by any
stretch of the imagination crossing points where there is a significant clash between engine
vehicle and passerby movements. They are important because:
Educate the person on foot of the favoured intersection area; Inform drivers of passerby crossing
point areas(Sparvero & Warner, 2019).
Association of walkways from inverse points on a crossing point (or, without a walkway on one
side, the parallel expansion of the walkway over the crossing point opposite to the centerline)
speaks to a crosswalk. In any case, roads that aren't checked ought not to limit the significance of
user security.
School zones present a critical basic circumstance for a person on foot. Youngsters are normally
hard to predict than grown-ups at pedestrian's intersections (Li, 2018). Checked crosswalks
ought to be utilized at school zone crossing territories paying little heed to the dimension the
control of traffic. Extra passerby safety procedures, for example, user’s intersection crossing
points, should likewise be utilized when essential. Fluorescent yellow-green school marking is
advised to be used to alert the drivers.
Physical features and geometry
This includes;
Sight distance- this is the distance of sight of a walking road user keeping the lines of sight from
crosswalk location at any road intersection to the oncoming car. It is important to ensure that
conflicts are avoided. Rules on the distance of sight and the halting distance are provided in the
intersection manuals and the publications of "AASHTO". On the other hand, where on-road
leaving is permitted, a typical rule is, preclude leaving inside 20 ft. of a crosswalk. View
separation should be additionally enhanced by disposing of one extra stopping slow down or all
stopping inside roughly 50 ft. of the crossing point. To energize strolling, numerous walkways
plans currently incorporate arranging, transport covers, road furniture and booths. Albeit every

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one of these things can improve the feel of the strolling condition, they can likewise move
toward becoming sight separate hindrances
Signing
Guidelines on the signing of intersections and pedestrians crossing and walking zones are availed
by. Signs cannot be placed everywhere or just anywhere. They are placed after a justified
judgement or a careful study is undertaken by engineers. To build easily the identification, the
signs should be placed properly in the driver's essential observable pathway. Now and again, the
utilization of blazing reference points enhances evening time readability. The design should also
include proper traffic signals and lights that are easy for the road users to view. It is important
also to inform users of crosswalks, bumps, intersections and cyclist lanes ahead. This prepares
the drivers ahead of entering an intersection point or crosswalks.
Accessibility is also a major factor when designing and installing road signs (Das, 2018) The
signs should be placed in places where they are easy to view on time. proper placing and
distancing are also a key factor.
Paths and sidewalks
They are perceived as the most essential travel route for walkers accessing intersections.
Appropriately structured walkways give portability, openness, what's more, wellbeing to all
users. Walkways and ways should be made from strong and durable material that offer skid
opposition qualities. The sizing of the paths should be done properly. For model, a base width of
60 in. is for the most part prescribed for walkways in local locations. The least width of 96 in. is
prescribed in focal business areas. More extensive walkways are frequently required to keep up a
base dimension of administration (LOS) where there are more noteworthy passerby volumes
(Bakshi, Tarnow & Bittner, 2018).
User perception and beliefs about safety at intersections
It is well known that the most vulnerable users of roads are pedestrians signalized intersections,
and any unorthodox behaviour which may include violation of signals, failing to cross at
crosswalks among others, that is highly determined by how they perceive safety, worsens the
situation (Prati et al 2018). It is thus of great importance to under stance user’s perception which
may greatly aid the engineers of traffic to enhance the outlining, modelling and construction so
to ensure the safety of users at intersections in terms of crossing or using pathways and
crosswalks.

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Purposes behind surpassing the speed limit associated with users thoughts include: exceeding the
speed limit in light of the way that distinctive drivers do accordingly; viewing the speed as
normal; a conviction that they won't be gotten by the police for exceeding the speed limit; not
understanding they were exceeding the speed limit; a conviction that exceeding the speed limit
isn't that dangerous; and sees that interface exceeding the speed limit to positive ramifications.
Both driving unnecessarily speedy and too much moderate are associated with a perspective of a
risky driver. Driving at a reasonable speed isn't seen as a nature of a better than the average
driver. Distinctive personality qualities are associated with poor driving behaviour, including
sensation pursuing, threatening vibe and shock, a Type a character, normlessness, extremism,
less compassion, hurriedness, thoughtlessness and smooth social variation from the norm.
Drivers are not really capable of assessing their own one of a kind inclination.
Engineering solution as per user perception of safety at intersections
People are imperfect when deciding, and a few blunders in judgment are unavoidable.
Nonetheless, steps can be taken to help decrease the probability that driver blunders will happen.
Along these lines, crossing point plan and highlights are imperative and should consider the
constraints of human execution (Ahnv & Del Vecchio, 2018).
This includes;"Alert" the driver of the crossing point ahead. Inform the driver of the courses and
their turns at the convergence ahead. Inform the driver of the path assignments ahead predictable
with the course turns. Inform the driver of guide sign data for goals (white on green guide
marking). Guarantee that just the STOP/YIELD activity or flag sign choice is to be made by the
driver in the last a few hundred feet moving toward the stop bar
Different components of the crossing point can be added or changed to enhance driver execution
and diminish the probability of mistakes. Some incorporate the accompanying:
Using propelled guide signs, possibly with flashers, put in obvious areas.
Using extensive asphalt markings and scribing way markings for various turn paths.
Conclusion
From the above document, we can conclude that the user's safety at intersections should be a
priority. This is achievable by making sure that proper design techniques. It is also important to
put into consideration the user's perception and beliefs about safety at intersections. A number of
variables which include street geometry, surface conditions, design and risks support security
along our country street design. The security designing reason for every one of these components

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was depicted. The inadequacies of the accident database were point by point similar to the job
this critical information source needs to play in hazard evaluation related to an RSI.

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