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October 29, 2025The effect of road lane width on cyclist safety in urban areas
By Schramm, A., & Rakotonirainy, A.
Full Citation
Schramm, A., & Rakotonirainy, A. (2009). The effect of road lane width on cyclist safety in urban areas. In Proceedings of the 2009 Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education and the 2009 Intelligent Speed Adaption (ISA) Conference (pp. 419-427). .
Key Findings
This literature review provides guidelines to assist in the design, construction and retrofitting of urban roads to accommodate road users' safety requirements. It focuses on the impacts of lane widths on cyclists and motor vehicle safety behaviour. Results show that marked road lane width influences perceived task difficulty, risk perception and possibly speed choice. Lower, or reduced, vehicle speeds play a significant role in improving bicyclist and pedestrian safety. It is also shown that if road lane widths in urban areas were reduced to a functional width that was less than the current guidelines of 3.5 meters (11.4 feet), it could result in a safer road environment for all road users.