How to manage traffic for private roads and local areas

Posted by Mike Shaw on November 29th, 2020

A private road or street is a road that is owned by a community people who own land in a specific area, a company or an individual. Although the government does not own private roads, they can still be used by the public. It is the sole responsibility of the individual, organization or community in the area to ensure that a private road is safe for both vehicles and pedestrians. Managing the traffic in a local area can be challenging, but the tips in this article can help you figure it out. 

1. Implement traffic rules and regulations

Both pedestrians and drivers must follow traffic rules to ensure road safety. Depending on the flow of traffic, and if cyclists or many pedestrians are using a private road, it is paramount that private roads identify and implement traffic rules that will ensure the safety of everyone. Private roads must use the appropriate road signage in Australia to warn and direct both drivers and pedestrians using the road. 

2. Injury prevention

There are three main ways that private roads can prevent unnecessary road-related injuries:

• By installing road safety bollards which do a great job absorbing vehicle impact during an accident.
• Private roads can demarcate pedestrian and cyclist paths and vehicle paths according to the laws of road signage in Australia.
• The community or organization in the local area should make fair use of the available land and make provisions for everybody intended to use the road. 

3. Installation of community facility signs

Community facility signs are very functional when it comes to directing tourists or local people to petrol stations, eateries, public toilets, litter bins and other amenities. You will mostly see these signs on the highway or expressway, but it is just as important to have them on private roads to increase road safety. Ensure that you get approval from the city before installing one any road signage in your local area. Additionally, community facility signs should not interfere with traffic signs. Instead, they should be installed on the side of the road where they are visible, even at night, and where they don’t distract drivers, cyclists or pedestrians. 

4. Warning signs for Pedestrians and Cyclists

The growing number of cyclists has made it necessary to demarcate walkthroughs for both bicycles and pedestrians, especially on private roads. There must be zebra crossings or refuges on a road that has a large number of pedestrians or cyclists. Warning and protection signs for bicycles, pedestrians and children should be made visible for drivers to ensure safety for everyone. It is paramount for drivers to be made aware that the road they are on is for dual purposes.

Because private roads are made and maintained by the people living in that area, road maintenance warning signs are also vital to increase road safety on private roads. Traffic management can be difficult, but it is much easier if you do it following the road safety laws in your area.