European standardization of road equipment

Road equipment is the specialized and somewhat sophisticated product which brings life to the road surface and makes a decisive contribution to road safety by guiding and protecting the drivers: horizontal and vertical signalisation, road restraint systems, traffic lights, emergency telephones, anti-glare screens, warning devices and delineators, traffic noise reducing devices etc. A lot of research and experimentation have been devoted in Europe to develop and improve these pieces of equipment as a result of a joint effort of industry and road administrations. As a consequence of the contribution to road safety, these products are presently severely controlled by the national public regulations, controls which for the most important products concern their initial type testing and their manufacturing organization. In context of the European harmonised regulations which are being developed, road equipment should have international standards. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 886848.