Main Streets

Overview

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  • Key risk consideration for main streets
  • Primary Safe System lever
  • Linked guidance and references

Applying the Safe System Elements

Each Safe System pillar plays two distinct roles — preventing incidents before they happen, and reducing harm when they do.

Proactive / Preventative

Treatments and policies that prevent incidents involving main streets before they occur.

  • How Safe Roads & Roadsides design choices prevent risk to main streets.
  • Treatments and engineering measures that reduce exposure.
  • Speed-management or policy levers that lower crash likelihood.
  • Investment priorities and standards to embed in delivery.
  • How Safe Speeds design choices prevent risk to main streets.
  • Treatments and engineering measures that reduce exposure.
  • Speed-management or policy levers that lower crash likelihood.
  • Investment priorities and standards to embed in delivery.
  • How Safe People design choices prevent risk to main streets.
  • Treatments and engineering measures that reduce exposure.
  • Speed-management or policy levers that lower crash likelihood.
  • Investment priorities and standards to embed in delivery.
  • How Safe Vehicles design choices prevent risk to main streets.
  • Treatments and engineering measures that reduce exposure.
  • Speed-management or policy levers that lower crash likelihood.
  • Investment priorities and standards to embed in delivery.

Reactive / Mitigative

Treatments and policies that reduce the severity of incidents involving main streets when they occur.

  • How Post-Crash Response reduces severity for main streets when a crash occurs.
  • Infrastructure and vehicle features that absorb crash energy.
  • Trauma response, recovery and after-care pathways.
  • Data and learning loops that drive continuous improvement.

Examples in Practice

See how this is applied in real-world road safety initiatives.

Case Study: Urban Intersection Safety Upgrade Program Case Study
Austroads · 11 Feb 2024

Case Study: Urban Intersection Safety Upgrade Program

A metropolitan program upgrading high-risk intersections with raised platforms, signal phasing and treatments to cut intersection crashes.

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Case Study: Inner Melbourne 30 km/h Speed Limit Trial Case Study
Austroads · 18 Jan 2024

Case Study: Inner Melbourne 30 km/h Speed Limit Trial

Evaluation of a 30 km/h speed limit in inner Melbourne streets, covering speed compliance, pedestrian activity, and community response.

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Relevant Resources

Find guidance, research, and reference materials related to this area of road safety.

Project: Applying Safe System Principles to Rural Road Networks Project
Austroads · 1 May 2024

Project: Applying Safe System Principles to Rural Road Networks

Cross-jurisdiction project investigating cost-effective Safe System treatments for high-speed rural roads, with pilot installations in three states.

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Webinar: Applying the Safe System Approach in Practice Webinar
Austroads · 18 Apr 2024

Webinar: Applying the Safe System Approach in Practice

Recorded webinar with Austroads experts discussing practical application of Safe System principles in project design and delivery.

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Webinar: Speed Management - From Strategy to Signs on the Road Webinar
Austroads · 28 Feb 2024

Webinar: Speed Management - From Strategy to Signs on the Road

A deep dive into the end-to-end speed-management process, from strategic targets through to road-section speed limit decisions.

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Guide to Road Safety - Part 3: Speed Limits and Speed Management Guide
Austroads · 8 Feb 2024

Guide to Road Safety - Part 3: Speed Limits and Speed Management

Detailed guidance on setting and reviewing speed limits using Safe System thresholds and the movement and place framework.

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Project: Movement & Place Implementation Toolkit Project
Austroads · 22 Jan 2024

Project: Movement & Place Implementation Toolkit

Tools and templates for practitioners applying the Movement and Place framework, with examples from urban, suburban and rural contexts.

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Guide to Road Safety - Executive Summary Publication
Austroads · 1 Nov 2023

Guide to Road Safety - Executive Summary

Summary of the Austroads Guide to Road Safety for senior decision-makers, highlighting key Safe System actions and investment priorities.

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AP-R686-23: Safer Urban Speed Limits - Evidence Review Research Report
Austroads · 30 Jun 2023

AP-R686-23: Safer Urban Speed Limits - Evidence Review

Evidence review of international research on lower urban speed limits (30-40 km/h) and their impact on crash severity and mode choice.

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National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 Publication
Austroads · 12 May 2021

National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030

The ten-year Australian strategy for reducing road trauma, built on Safe System principles and aligned with the UN Decade of Action.

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Relevant Tools & Techniques

Discover practical tools to support safety in this area of road safety.

Technique
Austroads

Movement And Place Assessment

A practical Austroads technique that supports Safe System assessment and decision-making across the road network.

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