SPECIAL CRIMINOLOGICAL MEASURES FOR PREVENTING CRIME ON HIGH-SPEED HIGHWAYS AND SUBURBAN ROADS

Abstract

High-speed highways and suburban roads constitute specific transport environments in which the prevention of crime and other dangerous forms of road behaviour requires measures that differ from conventional urban traffic control. High vehicle speeds, limited pedestrian infrastructure, insufficient lighting, isolated road sections, poorly controlled access points, and inadequate engineering arrangements may increase the vulnerability of road users and create favourable conditions for various offences and serious traffic incidents. This thesis examines special criminological measures aimed at improving safety on high-speed highways and suburban roads, with particular attention to road infrastructure, traffic signs, lighting, road geometry, pedestrian crossings, intelligent transport systems, and engineering solutions. The study argues that infrastructure should be considered not merely as a technical component of transport policy but also as an important instrument of criminological prevention. Properly designed roads can reduce opportunities for dangerous behaviour, increase the perceived probability of detection, regulate traffic flows, and minimise situations in which offences or serious accidents become more likely. The paper proposes an integrated prevention model combining engineering, organisational, technological, and criminological measures.