Emergency Corridors - Necessary Solutions in a Modern Road Network

Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Department of Roads and Bridges, 20-618 Lublin, Poland

^* Corresponding author: m.debinski@pollub.pl

Abstract

Poland was a place of dynamic road network development in the 20^th century. Many expressways and highways were built. Along with the development of the road network, there was a need to introduce new solutions which would be friendly to emergency services. The most important factor influencing the chances of accident victim survival is the time in which first aid will be administered. Reaching the victim is the primary problem for emergency services in case of road incidents. Driver behavior plays an important role, as they have significant effect on emergency service travel times. The emergency corridor is the solution ensuring quick and safe access to expressways and motorways. Examples from Polish roads in 2017 demonstrate that not all drivers are able to behave properly when emergency services move trying to access the accident site (cases of blocking, driving the wrong way through the corridor, etc.). It cannot be clearly assumed that drivers have bad intentions. According to the authors, the problem lies in education, access to information, and lack of regulatory policies. In Austria, Germany and Hungary, a great deal of resources has been devoted to information campaigns on safe behavior in the event of road accidents, and a number of legal provisions have developed allowing the police to ensure that these rules are respected.