Abbiegeverkehren

Abbiegeverkehren is a term used in traffic engineering to describe the management and control of turning movements at road junctions. The concept focuses on how vehicles depart from through traffic to turn left or right, or to perform U-turns, and how those movements are accommodated through road geometry, signage, markings, and traffic signals.

Scope and techniques include dedicated turning lanes, protected turning phases (often with turn signals), medians and channelized islands, advance warning markings, and coordinated pedestrian phases. The layout of lanes, curb radii, sightlines, and queue lengths influences both efficiency and safety. In dense urban networks, Abbiegeverkehren often involves linking signal timing with geometric design to maintain capacity while protecting vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

Applications extend to signalized intersections, at-grade crossings with high turning volumes, and corridor upgrades. The approach may be integrated with roundabouts or used in mixed-traffic environments to manage conflicts between turning and through movements. It can also involve strategies like leading or lagging turns, or lane redistribution to optimize flow.

Etymology and literature: The term appears in European traffic engineering discourse as a descriptive label for turning-traffic management. Its linguistic roots are variably described, but it is generally framed as a cross-language concept capturing how turning movements are guided within intersection design and signal strategies.

See also: Traffic engineering, intersection design, signal phasing, turning lane, protected turn, pedestrian safety.