Relocation:
Road improvements are absolute mistakes if the new curves signal
higher speeds. Example: a curve regarded as "too sharp" is "flattened"
for improvement. The easier improvement may have been to
remove vegetation on the inside of the curve to improve sight distance,
and then plant several trees along the outside to warn drivers
that the road ahead changes direction. As we learned in the definition
of assumed design speed, drivers' perceptions of what's ahead
influences speed. Reconstructing a sharp curve to make it safer can
signal that speed may be increased. Again, let uniformity and gradual
increases in design speed be your watchwords...inconsistencies
and surprises increase the numbers of accidents! Know that accidents
will occur; it is your job to predict where they are most
likely to happen and design for the safest conditions possible.
