Geometric Design & Safety Aspects

Presentation covers following topics:

 Alignment Design
 Cross-Section
 Traffic Control Devices
Road Alignment Design
 Geometric Design Elements

1. Cross Section Elements

2. Sight Distance Considerations
3. Horizontal Alignment
4. Vertical Alignment
 Design Control and Criterion
Safety considerations in design controls
Safety is one of the most important features from
initial planning to final construction, limitations are
imposed by
 Road User Characteristics
 Vehicle Characteristics
 Design Speed
 Sight Distance
Design Speed
Nature of Cross Design Speed (Kmph)
the Terrain Slope of Ruling Minimum
the Ground
Plain & Up to 25% 100 80
rolling
Mountainou More than 60 40
s 25%
 Sight Distance

Safety Issues
 Braking and acceleration ability of vehicles variable,
due to poor maintenance.
 Trucks and buses require greater distances to stop
due to their weight, but driving positions are generally
higher.
 Industrialised country standards may not be
appropriate because of differing vehicle performance
and driver behaviour in India.
 Untended vegetation can obstruct sight distances
Sight Distance
Sight Distance
Design Speed Minimum Desirable Sight
(Kmph) Stopping Sight Distance (m)
Distance (m)
100 180 360
80 130 260
60 90 180
40 45 90
 Horizontal Alignment
Safer Practice
 Horizontal curvature of a road should be consistent
with speed requirements.
 Potentially unsafe overtaking on curves with
inadequate sight distances should be prevented by
signs, road markings or physical barriers.
 Large radius horizontal curves instead of straight
alignments should be provided to relieve driver of
monotony and enable him to make better judgment of
approaching vehicles' speed.
 Horizontal Alignment
Minimum Radius of curve
should be provided as per
design speed

If not possible speed limit

sign should be installed and
measures to ensure its
adherence be employed

Transition curves at ends

should be consistent with
design speed/speed limit

Superelevation should be
as per design speed/ speed
limit
 Horizontal Alignment

Absence of Road Markings on 2- Well Marked Horizontal Curve

way Single Carriageway with Guardrails and Service
Road
 Radius of Horizontal Curve
Vs Road Accident

Effect of Radius of Effect of Length of Straight

Horizontal Curve on Safety Section on Accident Rate
 Vertical Alignment

Safer Practice
 Provide adequate sight distances.
 Frequent changes in vertical profile should be avoided
 On long grades, steepest grade should be placed at the
bottom and lighter grade near top.
 Sag curves associated with highway underpasses,
curve lengths must be chosen to ensure the necessary
vertical clearances and to maintain adequate sight
distances into the underpass.
 Effect of Grade on Safety

• The accident rate

reduces considerably
when grade difference
is less than 4%

Effect of Grade on Accident Rate

 Combination of Vertical
and Horizontal Alignment
Safer Practice
 Proper alignment enhances scenic views of the natural
and manmade environment
 Easier to make adjustments at design stage
 Sharp horizontal curvature should not be introduced
on top of crest curve
 Designer should study long, continuous stretches of
highway in both plan and profile and visualize the
whole in three dimensions.
Combination of Horizontal
and Vertical Alignment

Broken Back Curve Replacement of Broken Back

Curve by Single radius long
curve
Combination of Horizontal
and Vertical Alignment

Local dip on long Local dip eliminated

grade on long grade
 Combination of Horizontal
and Vertical Alignment

Removal of humps
Short humps on long
on horizontal curve
horizontal curve

Short humps on long

horizontal curve
 Cross-Sections
Safer Practice
 Properly maintained cross-sectional profiles assist safety.
 Side slope gradients for embankments and drains should be as
flat as possible.
 Open channel drains should be covered or separated from the
carriageway.
 Incorporation of properly maintained shoulder allows room for
parking, in emergency use and segregation of pedestrians.
 Provision of the number of lanes primarily dependent on the
projected traffic volume.
 Shoulders

Poorly Maintained Shoulder of Adequate and Well Maintained

Inadequate Width and Strength. Shoulders
Trees along Shoulders also Pose
Safety Hazards
 Shoulders

Safer Practice
 Shoulder should support vehicles under all weather
conditions.
 Hard shoulders, should be differentiated from
carriageway.
 Edge line markings help to discourage traffic from
using the shoulder.
 Shoulder cross slopes should be so designed as to
avoid draining onto the carriageway.
Traffic Control Devices
 Road Signs and Markings

Safety Issues
 Letter size can be too small – creates problems where more than
one language signs have to be used.
 Funds for features such as signs/road markings often not
included when roads are built or rehabilitated.
 Poor maintenance is common which leads to worn, illegible,
damaged or missing signs.
 Fragmentation of responsibilities for road signs / markings on
different roads often leads to variability in use.
 Poor road surface condition makes application of road markings
difficult.
 Road Signs
Type of signs Shape Example Remarks
Blue Circles give a
positive instruction
(what must be done)
Mandatory/
Red circles give a
Regulatory Signs negative instruction
(what must not be
done)

Triangular signs warn

Cautionary/Warning Signs

Rectangular signs give

Informatory Signs 
1 Km
information and
directions
 Road Signs
Other Important Signs

Stop Sign

STOP

Give way Sign

 Road Markings
Type of line Figure Description
Broken lines are permissive in character and
Broken line may be crossed with discretion, if traffic
permits
Solid lines are restrictive in character and
Solid lines indicate that crossing is not permitted except
for entry or exit from a side road.

Double solid lines indicate maximum

Double restrictions and are not to be crossed except
solid lines in emergent usage

In a combination of broken and solid lines, a

Combinatio solid line may be crossed, with discretion, if
n of broken the broken line is nearer to the direction of
and solid travel. Vehicle from the opposite directions
lines are not permitted to cross the solid line
 Road Markings

Well marked road marking Separation of lanes where

overtaking is permitted with care
for traffic adjacent to the broken
line, but prohibited for traffic
adjacent to solid line
Delineators and Chevron Signs
Safety Issues

 Lack of edge definition increases pavement deterioration due to

vehicles driving onto the shoulder thus increasing the risk of
accidents.

 Without delineation, drivers may not correctly approach

obstacle or know changing situation.

 Delineators, can themselves add to the unsafe situation if poorly

designed or located.

 Absence of chevron boards at sharp bends increases chances

of accident.
Delineators and Chevron Signs
Safer Practice
 On dual carriageway roads, and where lanes are added or

dropped, delineation reduces accident risk.

 Reflective delineator posts are useful at night-time.

 Reflectorised raised pavement markers are effective for

centerline, lane and edge markings.

 The delineators are most likely to be effective on dangerous

bends, on approaches to intersections and on embankments.

 Chevron signs are useful in showing the location of sharp bends.

Delineators and Chevron Signs
Roadside Safety
 Roadside Slopes

Steep Slopes of Embankment Wide Shoulders with Gradual

Protected by Crash Barriers - A Roadside Slopes for Proper
Good Safety Practice Drainage
 Safety Fences

Safer Practice
 Use flexible barriers in
preference to rigid barriers
where conditions permit.
 End-points should be buried
and flared back.
 Use minimum of 0.33m
setback in urban areas and
Safety Barriers for Hazardous
0.5m on rural roads, but Situation
preferably 1.0m where
feasible.
 Service Roads
Safety Issues
 Service roads may be continuous or
intermittent, they may be on one or
both sides, and they may have one-
way or two-way traffic.
 Service roads provided are invisible
due to encroachments observed on
these service roads.
 Absence of adequate truck parking
facilities on highways leads vehicles to
parked on service roads, thus negating
the benefits of service roads to the
vulnerable road users. Provision of Service Road
 Absence of service roads increases for Drivers to Stop at a
pedestrian-vehicular conflicts and road Metro Station at Delhi
safety is threatened.