New research from PhD student Mr Tung Tran and Dr Long Truong, published in Traffic Injury Prevention, has highlighted the road safety risks associated with bridges.
The study compared bridge-related crashes, where a vehicle collides with a bridge, with other crashes on Victorian roads over a 17-year period.
“We found that crashes involving a bridge were generally more severe, in terms of individual injury, than non-bridge crashes,” Mr Tran says.
“The data also showed that bridge-related crashes were more prevalent on high-speed roads and more likely to involve young and male motorists.”
The reasons for the increased severity, according to Dr Truong, is due to the different physical and operational features of bridges.
“Bridges pose a range of safety risks, mainly due to the intrusion of railings and other structural elements. They are also typically narrow in width and frequently lack shoulders,” he adds. “A bridge strike can potentially cause structural damage or, in severe circumstances, bridge failure.”
The research team hope the insights gained from this study will help inform the development of targeted interventions and infrastructure improvements.
“Given the severity of bridge-related crashes, it is important that motorist education and awareness programs focus on bridge safety. Such programs should target more vulnerable motorists, such as young people and male drivers.”
“This study represents a significant step forward in addressing the challenges posed by bridge safety and underscores the importance of programs aimed at mitigating the risks associated with bridge-related crashes.”
