Use of passive safety supporting structures

Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland

^* Corresponding author: jaroslaw.michalek@pwr.edu.pl

Abstract

Road safety issues have been raised for many years in subsequent national and EU documents. An example of a Polish document is the National Road Safety Program for 2013-2020 [1]. The priorities and measures adopted in the document [1] relate mainly to the environment and road furnishings making up the so-called passive road safety. In accordance with PN-EN 12767: 2008 [2], road lighting columns, as well as supporting structures for vertical road marking and traffic safety devices should be constructed in such a way that they do not pose a threat to road users in case of unforeseen situations ending up in a collision. Three categories of passive safety of support structures depending on the level of energy absorption during vehicle impact can be distinguished: high energy absorbing (HE), low energy absorbing (LE) and non-energy absorbing (NE) energy. The article presents an overview of solutions of several countries (USA, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Slovakia and Poland) in the use of support structures that minimize the impact of a collision. Particular attention was paid to the fact that due to the potential risk of secondary injuries sustained by other road users (pedestrians and cyclists) in relation to a specific installation site and designated speed limit, constructions in the HE or NE absorption class or even Class 0 constructions should be used.