Road safety: Prioritization of roadside hazard improvement

Every year, a significant number of fatal road accidents in the State of Kuwait occurs off the roadway in collisions with hazardous objects along the roadside. In spite of the magnitude of the problem, numerous fixed elements remain unprotected alongside roadways in this affluent State. The main aim of this research study was to inventory and identify hazardous elements along a sample of freeways, arterials, collectors and local streets. Common hazards along these roadways were surveyed and identified, and a prioritization method for their improvement was developed. The method recommends that the most hazardous elements on roadsides should be improved first. The prioritization method combines the “rigidity” of the hazardous element, the geometric design of roadway and the hazard’s exposure to traffic (degree of hazardousness), to rank the hazardous objects. The deficiency in driver behavior in Kuwait, and the urgency to correct the most critical hazards first, are emphasized by the method