DEFINITIONS OF

HIGHWAYS
AND
ROADS
 According to the California Commission on
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), in
order to investigate and document vehicle
collisions accurately , officers must understand
the legal definitions of the surfaces related to
traffic flow.
HIGHWAY

Is a way or place of whatever

nature (paved, gravel, etc.) that is
publicly maintained and open to
the use of the public for purposes
of vehicular travel. A highway can
include roadway(s), shoulders, and
sidewalks.
 MEDIAN

Is the portion of a divided highway

which separates the roadways from traffic
moving in the opposite direction. For
descriptive purposes, the median also
includes any median shoulders. Some
medians also have median barriers (steel
rails, metal posts/ wire, or concrete)
ROAD

Is that portion of a
highway that includes the
roadway and any
shoulder alongside the
roadway.
ROADWAY

Is that portion of a highway

designed or ordinarily used for
vehicular traffic. A highway can
have more than one roadway. For
example, a two lane highway
separated by a median has two
roadways.
SHOULDER

Is the portion of the road

next to the roadway used for
accommodation of stopped
vehicles, emergency stops,
or lateral support of the
roadway structure.
SIDEWALK

Is the portion of a
highway, other than the
roadways, set apart by
curbs, barriers, marking,
or other delineation for
pedestrian travel.
ALLEY

Is any highway having a

roadway not exceeding 25
feet in width and which is
primarily used for access to
the rear or side entrances of
abutting property.
CROSSWALK

Is any portion of a roadway

distinctly indicated for
pedestrian crossing
INTERSECTION

Is the point where two

highways join one another at
approximately right angles. An
intersection can also include
the area where two highways
join at any other angle.
INTERCHANGE

Is a system of interconnecting
roadways that provide the
interchange of traffic between
two or more roadways that
are different levels.
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLE
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

Philippine National Police grouped

motor vehicle traffic accidents into three
classification, they are (PNP, 2009)
RUNNING OFF ROAD

a run off the road accident is generally a single vehicle

accident in which another vehicle physically contacts a car and
causes that car to leave the roadway. It also is a case where a
vehicle unsafely entered the lane without contacting a car but
caused the car to take extreme evasive maneuvers that ran you off
the road.
NON COLLISION ON ROAD

These refer to accidents where someone was injured while operating a

vehicle or their vehicle suffered damages, yet that vehicle neither struck or
was struck by someone else.
• A. Overturning – it is where a car rolls over while making a fast turn or swerving.
• B. Other Non Collision – these include but not limited to:
Accidental poisoning from carbon dioxide generated by the vehicle
Breakage of any part of the vehicle which results in injury or
further property damage,
Explosion of any part of the vehicle, fire starting in the vehicle
Falling or jumping from the vehicle
Object falling from or into the vehicle
Where the vehicle drives into water without collision, or
Strikes holes of bumps on the surface of the trafficway
COLLISION ON ROAD WITH

 Pedestrian Bicycle
 Other motor vehicle in traffic Animal
 Parked motor vehicle Fixed objects
 Railroad Train Other objects