Overview
Accidents which have occurred in tunnels have brought to light the danger that the perpendicular end-wall of laybys can present to road users in tunnels.
Various European representatives of the PIARC Road Tunnel Operations Committee engaged in discussions on the topic of laybys and lateral obstacles in tunnels. A workshop was organized on this issue in 2013.
The project summarizes the current practices in the field of laybys and protection against lateral obstacles in Europe.
Funding
Results
The final report presents the individual position of each participating country in the form of: a brief overview of the number and layout of laybys, feedback on accidents involving laybys or other lateral obstacles, reference to any studies conducted on this issue and other relevant information. Only the last chapter of the report (Conclusions) reflects a PIARC consensus on this complex topic.
The document also summarizes the main discussions during the European Commission's Tunnel Safety Committee in October 2014 and the main lessons learnt by the countries involved in this initiative. In addition, it refers to PIARC's recommendation to take into account the "Road safety" Directive 2008/96/EC in the context of road tunnels.