The Effects of Roadside Hazards on Road Accident Severity

The risk of becoming involved in an accident emerges when elements of the transport system do not operate properly (man – vehicle – road – roadside). The road, its traffic layout and safety equipment have a critical impact on road user safety. This gives infrastructural work a priority in road safety strategies and programmes. Run-off-road accidents continue to be one of the biggest problems of road safety with consequences including vehicle roll-over or hitting a roadside object. This type of incident represents more than 20% of rural accidents and about 18% of all road deaths in Poland. Mathematical models must be developed to determine how selected roadside factors affect road safety and provide a basis for new roadside design rules and guidelines