Safety
In low-speed environments, curbs are effective at channelizing motor vehicle traffic. On higher speed roads, curbs should not be used because they can destabilize vehicles that strike them. A high-speed vehicle that hits a curb may actually turn towards the sidewalk, rather than be directed away from it. A vehicle that strikes a curb can be tripped into a rollover crash or vaulted into the air. The vehicle could be vaulted over a traffic barrier into the object the barrier is intended to shield. This is a reason why they are rarely used on rural or high speed roads. Where curb is used with a traffic barrier, the barrier should be close to or well behind the curb to reduce the chances of a vehicle going over the barrier.
Depending on the area and the distance between the travel lane and the edge of pavement, the white edge line that normally indicates the outside (shoulder) edge of the road may or may not be present where there is a curb. Reflectorized road marking material can also be applied to the curb itself to make it more conspicuous.
Read more about this topic: Curb (road)
Famous quotes containing the word safety:
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—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
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—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)