What is a security island? In the SDA, this element of the road infrastructure is allocated a separate place, since it is quite important for both pedestrians and drivers.
With the increasing number of vehicles, traffic conditions for pedestrians become more dangerous. This is the largest category of participants in the movement, the safety of which is a state priority. To solve this issue, road infrastructure is needed that meets the new traffic conditions for pedestrians, capable of protecting them from vehicle collisions, namely, a sufficient number of sidewalks raised above the level of the carriageway, regulated pedestrian crossings, fences, and safety islands.
The concept
Road safety islands (OB) are an element of the road arrangement that separates lanes (including lanes for participants on bicycles), as well as tram tracks and lanes. Its main purpose is to ensure the safety of pedestrians when crossing the roadway.
OB can be distinguished by:
- curbstone (elevation over the roadway);
- technical means of traffic management (marking, etc.)
The part of the dividing strip that intersects the pedestrian crossing may also be part of the security island.
Standard requirements
The policy of forming a road network is enshrined in the national standard of the Russian Federation GOST R 52765-2007. Elements of the arrangement of roads include a complex of structures, buildings for traffic services, technical devices and means designed to create a safe road "environment". The marking, which includes lines, inscriptions, signs and other signs, informs about the conditions and modes of movements on the road section.
With high-traffic vehicles (at least 400 units / hour) on one lane of the road, pedestrian crossings organize safety islands. They are placed on a dividing strip or roadway. The distance between the edge of the latter and the border of the island should be at least 7.5 meters. The length of the OB should be more than 1.5 meters, the width - not less than the width of the pedestrian crossing.
The device in accordance with GOST
According to the requirements of the standard, a marking or a border can act as the border of a traffic island on the road.
The basic rules of the OB device are as follows:
- raised islets with curbs on the roadway are installed in the presence of constant electric illumination;
- when dividing oncoming traffic flows by installing fences along the carriageway, such raised islets with curbs are not used;
- the height of the border is 10 ± 1 centimeters;
- the OB center on the road should be in the alignment of the marking line, which separates opposite directions;
- a continuous inclined marking 1.1 is applied on both sides of the islet according to GOST R 51256, which diverts traffic flows from it, at an inclination to the axis of the road 1: 20/1: 50 (1:20 - for a speed of 60 km / h, 1:50 - more than 60 km / h);
- OB, which are on the dividing strip, must be paved;
- on the territory of the island itself, marking 1.16.1 (inclined parallel white stripes) is applied;
- if there is a border, road signs 4.2.1 are installed (go around the obstacle on the right) with a marking 2.7 (horizontal and vertical stripes of black, white in alternating order).
In places of confluence and branching of traffic flows form the so-called guide lines, which can be used as islands of safety on the road.
The principle of operation of the security island
When the Ministry of Transport introduces any elements of the road structure, the formation of a future algorithm for their work is envisaged.
According to the SDA, the security islands must act as follows:
- Approaching the OB should force the driver to adhere to the established speed limit, since the roadway visually narrows at the crosswalk, which increases the concentration of drivers.
- Departure of the car to the “oncoming” for overtaking (advancing) becomes impossible.
- Parking (stop) at the transition, as well as in the vicinity of it, is excluded.
- This is a kind of protection for pedestrians - a place of "rest" and waiting for the passage of cars, because crossing the pedestrian crossing is often fraught with fears and fears.
- Barrier islands should teach drivers to slow down near pedestrian crossings. The practice of installing just such OBs is common in European countries. Unfortunately, there are not many of them in Russia yet.
Is it possible to park, run over, stop the vehicle?
According to the SDA, the safety island is not provided for stopping (parking) vehicles.
In large cities, in conditions of rather limited space for parking and stopping vehicles, a common situation is when drivers drop their cars on islets. Clause 12.4 of the SDA does not explicitly prohibit such actions, however clauses 12.1 and 12.2 clearly define how to park and stop the vehicle. The SDA with comments says that if there are no special places for parking on the road, vehicles can be put only on the right (on the left side - in one-way traffic and on the road with at least 2 lanes) and in parallel with respect to the edge of the carriageway.
The islands are usually located in the center of the road between traffic flows, and their boundaries are indicated by a solid line, which is strictly forbidden to cross. It follows from this that parking and stopping in this way is not permitted. Due to the solid marking line, a collision with a safety island is also prohibited. In Moscow, special cameras have been installed that record these violations and send out “letters of happiness”.
The exception is emergency situations.
Drivers Responsibility
For stopping on the islet of security, as well as parking, administrative responsibility is provided.
By virtue of Art. 12.16 Administrative Code of the Russian Federation deviation from markup requirements entails a fine of 500 rubles.
Art. 12.19 of the same Code prescribes that non-compliance with parking (stopping) rules entails a fine of 500 rubles.
On the island, which refers to the pedestrian "zebra", a stop (parking) is strictly prohibited. As part of the location of the pedestrian crossing, an area of ten meters on both sides is also not provided for these purposes. For violation in this area, an increased fine is provided - 1000 rubles plus detention and evacuation of the vehicle.
Can police cars stand on islets?
Probably, each driver saw that traffic police often stood on these islets of safety, controlling traffic. Many are jealously wondering why they can, and ordinary motorists can not. Let's figure it out.
In their activities, traffic police officers are guided by the Administrative Regulations approved by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 664 of 2017. Paragraph 87 of this document states that the stop of a service vehicle should be subject to traffic rules and taking measures to ensure the safety of traffic participants. At the same time, paragraph 88 of the regulation says that exceptions can be established if there is a need to take regulatory, administrative actions, suppress offenses, prevent the threat of harm to the health, life and (or) property of participants in the movement.
General rules for pedestrian traffic
This category of participants is the most unprotected among the rest, since they are located outside vehicles and move with their feet.
The rules of the road for pedestrians set a special procedure for their movement. These norms for the movement of pedestrians are legislatively enshrined in paragraph 4 of the SDA 1993, No. 1090. In real traffic conditions, pedestrians are required to walk along sidewalks. It is possible to move along special lanes and paths for cyclists. A person can walk along the sidelines when there is no specially allocated space. If there is no side, then you can walk along the road to the right. In addition, the rules of the road for pedestrians who follow groups provide for the order of movement in 1 row one after another. In order to constantly monitor the movement of vehicles, pedestrians need to move towards the stream of cars. In the evening and at night, as well as in conditions of poor visibility (snowfall, rain, fog, etc.) for pedestrians traffic rules, it is recommended to wear clothes with reflective elements. This ensures their visibility by the driver.
Before going onto the road, pedestrians are required to assess the situation and make sure that they are safe.
It is forbidden to interfere with the movement of cars, to stand for a long time and stay on the road, if these actions are not aimed at traffic safety. In cases of delay when crossing the other side of the road, a passer-by should stop on the line that divides traffic flows, or on an island. This rule is well known to every pedestrian, because everyone understands how great the possibility of creating an emergency on the road, and no one wants to know for themselves what it is. The traffic safety island in this case serves as a kind of guidebook, to some extent protecting the pedestrian from danger.
You can expect a taxi and a bus that moves along the established route only at landing sites, towering above the carriageway, and in cases of their absence, on the sidewalk or roadside. It is allowed to go to stops not equipped with such elements for boarding the vehicle only after it has completely stopped. When disembarking, you need to leave the road without stopping.
Leaving the roadway immediately or abstaining and staying in a safe place is necessary when a vehicle with a working blue flashing light (may be blue and red) and a special sound signal approaches the crossing point.
Walking columns
The movement of organized pedestrian columns in traffic rules with comments is described as follows: people can only go along the road in the direction of the cars, i.e. on the right and up to 4 people in one row. Front and rear columns are displayed one attendant with a red flag. These people should be on the left side of the system. At night and with insufficient visibility, the movement is carried out using the included white light in front, red in the back. You can drive groups of children along sidewalks and walkways for pedestrians, and if they are absent, along the sidelines, there must be an accompanying adult.
Where to cross the road?
To realize the intention to cross the carriageway, a pedestrian must use pedestrian crossings.
On the road, they are distinguished by the corresponding signs in the form of a square, inside of which a white triangle is located on a blue background, it shows in black the silhouette of a pedestrian walking along a crosswalk. To mark the places reserved for the passage, special markings are applied on top of the pavement in the form of solid stripes of white and (or) white with yellow filling, located along the axis of the road. This markup is called a zebra. In exceptional cases, it is allowed to cross the road in places where on both sides it is clearly visible. You can cross only at an angle of 90 degrees to the edge of the road in the absence of a dividing strip and fences that delimit the traffic flows of oncoming directions. On hazardous sections of roads, depending on the intensity of traffic, pedestrian crossings are installed (underground and aboveground). Their locations are highlighted with road signs. Pedestrian traffic lights may be installed at crossings. In cases where there is no crossing through the pedestrian crossing, you can cross the road within the intersection where a person, as a participant in the movement, has an advantage. However, in places where traffic control is carried out by the traffic controller and / or traffic light, people should be guided by the signals that allow them to move. On a diagonal - between the corners of the intersection opposite each other - it is allowed to cross the road if there is a marking indicating such a transition, and only at a regulated intersection.
Pedestrian responsibility
For violation of traffic rules for pedestrians provides liability:
- administrative
- criminal
- civilian.
The first type of liability is established by articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation 12.29 and 12.30 (violation caused interference with movement, harm to human health of mild to moderate severity). In cases where, as a result of a pedestrian’s violation of traffic rules, circumstances have arisen that have caused severe bodily harm (part 1 of article 268 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) or it caused his death (part 2 of this article), or caused the death of 2 or more persons (Part 3), criminal liability ensues. Due to non-compliance with traffic rules in situations where the harm caused as a result of the violation affects the civil rights of citizens, pedestrians bear the obligations stipulated by the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Articles 8, 15, 1064, 1085-1094, paragraph 4 of Chapter 59).
It follows that safety has always been, is and will be a priority in the field of traffic : both pedestrians and other participants. It is for this purpose that islands of road safety were introduced at the legislative level. They are also designed for those on foot, and for those on wheels. Of course, in many respects the very arrangement of these important elements does not reach the European level, but our state, we hope, is striving for this. The importance of this design is that it helps to save many lives for both drivers and pedestrians.