Measures to prevent blind spot collisions at intersections in Amsterdam
Informing, alerting and adjusting the traffic light system: with these measures, Amsterdam aims to reduce the number of blind spot accidents at intersections.
Blind spot collisions remain a point of attention in Amsterdam. For 20 years, the municipality has been taking measures, such as mirrors at traffic lights for better vision, extra signs and warning lights, and campaigns to raise awareness. Nevertheless, approximately two percent of traffic accidents with serious injuries are blind spot collisions. For fatal accidents, this percentage is much higher. Victims are often cyclists and sometimes pedestrians. To further tackle the blind spot problem, the ‘Working Plan for Road Safety, 30 km/h, Pedestrians and Cyclists 2024′ has started the Blind Spot Approach.
Permitted conflicts at intersections
Amsterdam has over 400 intersections with traffic lights. At 165 of these intersections, there are one or more permitted conflicts. Permitted conflicts are situations in which two parallel traffic flows get the green at the same time, and one of those flows is also allowed to turn. Such as intersections with one lane for cars both straight ahead and turning right, that get the green simultaneously with cyclists and pedestrians going straight ahead. In total, there are 435 right-turn permitted conflicts and 188 left-turn permitted conflicts in Amsterdam.
‘The advantage of permitted conflicts at intersections is that delays are not limited and road users don’t wait unnecessarily. In the relatively narrow streets of Amsterdam with little space for multiple turn lanes, this is extra relevant. When there is a permitted conflict, drivers that turn have to give way to cyclists and pedestrians going straight ahead. But that does not always tun out well.
The view from lorries is limited, especially on the right side. Because of this blind spot, drivers turning right don’t have a good view of cyclists and pedestrians going straight ahead. The risk is even greater with growing numbers of cyclists and pedestrians and some cyclists going quite fast’, says Maarten Nelissen who works as a designer of traffic light installations on the Blind Spot Approach.
The lately established working group Blind Spot Approach has now inventoried all 165 intersections in Amsterdam with traffic lights with ‘permitted conflicts’ between right-turning car traffic and cyclists and pedestrians going straight ahead. The focus of the working group is on the right-turn permitted conflicts that have the extra risk of the blind spot.
Informing and alerting
The municipality applies various measures at the inventoried intersections. Informing and alerting are the first ones. This is done with a traffic sign that alerts turning motorists for cyclists and pedestrians going straight ahead. And road marking on the cycle path that encourages cyclists to make eye contact with turning drivers.
By now, December 2024, 50 signs have been placed and at 40 locations stamps have been placed on the cycle.
Stamp on cycle path.
Warning for traffic turning right. Mirror at traffic light.
Signal seperation
A second type of measure is ‘seperating cars and cyclists in time using signals. Nelissen: ‘This means that the traffic lights are adjusted in such a way that turning cars no longer get the green at the same time as cyclists and pedestrians going straight ahead.’
Nelissen: ‘Examples of this are Maasstraat and Waalstraat crossing President Kennedylaan. At these intersections, cyclists now get the green separate from car traffic. Previously, these flows got the green at the same time. Another example is the intersection of Admiraal de Ruyterweg and Jan van Galenstraat.’
A third type of measure is a ‘exclusive turn lane’ Nelissen: ‘Then traffic going straight, and turning traffic have different lanes, each with its own traffic light. The exclusive turn lane has a traffic light with an arrow, and gets green separately from cyclists and pedestrians going straight. Such exclusive turn lanes are more complicated to make, because they need changes in the road markings, the lights and the cables of the traffic lights and sometimes also the asphalt. An exclusive right-turn lane has been constructed at the intersection of Jan van Galenstraat and Willem de Zwijgerlaan.
The new exclusive right turn lane on Jan van Galenstraat is red when cyclists going straight have the green.
Longer delays?
Taking out permitted conflicts of the light control system does have consequences. Delays will become longer for all road users. But the experts have solutions for that as well. Nelissen: ‘At some of the places where the permitted conflict has been taken out and the delay for cyclists has increased, we make a possibility in the system to give cyclists the green more often. That reduces delays for cyclists.’
Started
Adjusting intersections with a permitted conflicts has started now. But many still exist. Taking out permitted conflicts from the traffic lights control system requires careful consideration. And not all intersections with a partial conflict are equally urgent, says Nelissen. ‘Some permitted conflicts can function well, while others are more risky. How well a permitted conflict functions depends on a number of things. Such as visibility, whether turning traffic expects cyclists to go straight ahead, how many cyclists there are and how many turning cars.’ The long-term goal is to eliminate permitted conflicts as much as possible.
Numbers Blind Spot Approach
At the 165 traffic signalled intersections with permitted conflicts the Blind Spot Working Group has taken the following measures (as of December 2024):
At 50 locations, signs have been placed that warn turning motorists for cyclists and pedestrians going straight ahead.
At 40 locations, stamps have been placed on the cycle path that encourage cyclists to make eye contact with turning motorists.
At 5 intersections, the traffic light system has been adjusted and cyclists and turning motorists no longer have the green lights at the same time. At 10 other intersections, the system will also be adjusted to prevent the risk of blind spots.
Two intersections were given an exclusive right-turn lane. In 2025, this will be done at approximately five more and 10 intersections will be investigated to see whether an exclusive right-turn lane can be introduced.
In this map you can find all traffic control systems in Amsterdam, with information and including historic ones.
