Use of traffic calming measures in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

Traffic calming is one of the main approaches to ensuring safety in city streets and it is based on the concept of speed containment. The aim of this approach is to minimize passing transit flows through the streets of district importance, to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to impact the behavior of drivers in urban conditions. City streets should be designed taking into account the restriction of "extra" speed, in accordance with the category and purpose. It is necessary to have regard to the functionality of the street, the uniformity of the traffic flow, the appropriateness of the imposed limitations, and the predictability of the technical means used to organize traffic. The main criteria for the use of traffic calming measures can be: accident rate, speed through traffic, and specific traffic conditions. The article presents practical results of studies on traffic conditions in the pedestrian crossings areas equipped with humps. It discusses alternative measures of physical and psychological effects on the traffic participants in the context of the traffic calming approach.