Saving Lives on Country Roads Initiative
Reducing fatalities and serious injuries on country roads is one of the biggest road safety challenges for NSW and a key focus of the 2026 Road Safety Plan.
The Savings Lives on Country Roads initiative is designed to address two key contributors to road fatalities and serious injuries on country roads: high risk curves and fatigue.
Projects funded under this initiative are targeting run-off-road and head-on crashes by addressing high risk curves through improved curve signage, widened shoulders, vehicle activated signage and flexible safety barriers.
The Saving Lives on Country Roads initiative is targeting the crash types commonly related to lane departure and driver fatigue by installing a number of key treatments:
- Audio Tactile Line Marking (ATLM)
- Wide centreline combined with ATLM
- Flexible safety barrier
- Motorcycle underrun
- Sealed shoulder widening at curves and on straights
- Curve Alignment Markers (CAMs)
- Curve advisory signs
- Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS).
In line with Towards Zero, the Saving Lives on Country Roads initiative is delivering consistent route-based safety improvements in place of traditional reactive safety treatments that target isolated locations on the road network.
Key Treatments
The Saving Lives on Country Roads initiative is targeting the crash types commonly related to lane departure and driver fatigue by installing a number of key treatments
Audio Tactile Line Marking
Wide centreline combined with ATLM
Flexible safety barrier
Motorcycle underrun
Sealed shoulder widening at curves and on straights
Curve Alignment Markers
Curve Advisory Signs
Vehicle Activated Signs
Key Treatments
Audio Tactile Line Marking
Audio tactile line marking (ATLM) – sometimes known as ‘rumble strips’ – are small raised bumps generally placed along the edges of roads and in the centre of roads. ATLM alerts a driver or rider when they are drifting out of their lane, by generating a distinct sound and vibration when their vehicle tyre comes into contact with it.
This treatment targets run-off-road to left and head-on crashes. Audio Tactile Line Marking can reduce the likelihood of crashes associated with fatigue as well as distraction. It is estimated to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries where a vehicle leaves the road by between 15 and 25 per cent.
Key Treatments
Wide centreline combined with ATLM
Wide centreline is measures up to 1.4 metres and provides a greater distance for drivers to recover if crossing into the opposing traffic lane. Traditional centreline marking (i.e. a single or double line only separating the traffic) provides limited recovery time for drivers who unintentionally cross the centreline. Expanding the width of the centreline gives drivers and riders a greater distance to recover if they unintentionally cross into the opposing traffic lane. This treatment is estimated to reduce fatalities and injuries caused by head-on crashes by 50 per cent and fatalities and injuries caused by run-off crashes by up to 25 per cent.
Wide centreline often incorporates an audio tactile surface, which alerts drivers and riders that they are departing their travel lane. When wide centreline is installed with ATLM, it can reduce fatalities and injuries caused by head-on crashes by up to 65 per cent.
Key Treatments
Flexible safety barrier
Flexible safety barriers redirect vehicles back into their lane to reduce the risk of them hitting oncoming vehicles or a roadside hazard.
Flexible safety barriers also absorb impact forces, reducing the energy transferred to the vehicle occupants when a crash occurs and minimising the chance of serious injury or death.
Flexible safety barriers can reduce the severity of high-risk crashes by up to 95 per cent.
Road safety barrier systems are considered to be flexible when they allow for sideways movement beyond the barrier upon impact. This differs from other barrier types that have a lower rate of deformation (are more structurally rigid) and deflection (lateral movement).
Roadside barriers
Flexible safety barriers are installed on the roadside of where there is a high risk of running off the road into a roadside hazard (eg: a tree), such as at high risk curves.
Median barriers
Flexible safety barriers can also be installed in the median (centre of the road) where the risk of a head-on crash with an oncoming vehicle is higher than the risk of running off the road into a roadside object (high traffic volumes).
Key Treatments
Motorcycle underrun
A motorcycle underrun is a barrier that is installed in addition to a standard crash barrier. It is designed to protect motorcyclists from sliding underneath the barrier into hazards or into dangerous components, including unprotected support posts and non-smooth surfaces. Motorcycle underruns reduce the impact forces a motorcyclist experiences in a crash, reducing injury severity by approximately 20 per cent.
Key Treatments
Sealed shoulder widening at curves and on straights
A road shoulder is the section of road pavement provided outside the travel lane.
Road shoulders are important for a range of traffic functions as they offer space for vehicles to manoeuvre within and correct themselves back onto the roadway.
A sealed shoulder improves skid resistance so you don’t lose control and risk rolling over.
Key Treatments
Curve Alignment Markers
Curve Alignment Markers (CAMs) provide guidance for drivers and riders on approach to curves.
The treatment ensures motorists have sufficient reaction time to time slow down and navigate the curve.
The most common form of CAMs are chevron signs. Chevron signs incorporate a black arrow on a lighter background to highlight the direction of travel.
Key Treatments
Curve Advisory Signs
Curve Advisory Signs provide guidance for road users on approach to horizontal curves.
The signs include a diagram displaying changes in the road alignment by highlighting difficult curves that allow drivers to adjust their behaviour and speed.
An advisory speed sign is used in conjunction with the symbolic curve diagram, to highlight the appropriate travel speed for the curve.
This treatment is often used in combination with Curve Alignment Markers (CAMs).
Key Treatments
Vehicle Activated Signs
A vehicle activated sign is a roadside warning device that activates when a vehicle triggers the sign.
Vehicle activated signs alert motorists who exceed pre-set parameters (such a speed limit).
This increases driver awareness and enables drivers to adjust their behaviour to suit the road conditions.
When the device has not been activated the sign does not activate, helping to target only relevant road users and limit the visual intrusion for others.
