TUNNEL SAFETY

Abstract

Road tunnel safety came to the attention of the public mainly during the last few years after some tragic accidents in a number of European tunnels. Because of the confined environment, accidents in tunnels, particularly fires, can have dramatic consequences. The number of accidents in tunnels is relatively low in comparison to other road “environments”, but their consequences are much more serious. The main causes of accidents are unsafe behaviours on the part of drivers, inadequate infrastructure and operations, vehicle defects and problems with loads such as chemical reactions. The risk of serious fires has significantly increased in recent years due to the increase in use of tunnels and, in international tunnels in particular, a lack of co-ordination between both sides. Moreover, serious accidents have shown that non-native users are at a greater risk of becoming a victim in an accident due to the lack of harmonisation of safety information, communication and equipment. Characteristics of human behaviour in fires are presented. People in fires are ‘prone to normalcy’, to inaction, while panic is very rare. Studies show that this finding is also valid in tunnels. An additional problem in fires is the low visibility due to smoke. Therefore, the use of directional sounds at emergency exits is recommended. The safety of travelers also depends on actions by tunnel staff. Suggestions for the prevention of accidents and the mitigation of their consequences are given.