Road Safety in Tunnels

Abstract

Roads in tunnels differ from comparable open-road sections in many respects. For most drivers a tunnel is an unusual driving environment in the road network that might even cause stress. A safety analysis was carried out to estimate average accident rates and accident cost rates for different cross sections of tunnels on German roads. The analysis is based on all the available accident data for German freeway and highway tunnels reported to police. Personal injury accidents and material-damage-only accidents were analyzed separately. The findings indicate that accident rates are lower for roads in tunnels. Moreover, accidents with severe personal injury and material damage are less frequent on roads in tunnels. However, the fear of a maximum credible accident still remains.