Traffic Engineering and Safety

DR. MARISAMYNATHAN S
A P/C E
NIT T RIC H Y
Module 5
Road Safety Audit

➢ Overview

➢ Stages of road safety audit

➢ Audit process

➢ Checklists

➢Elements of good road safety audit

➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law Enforcement.

➢ Road Safety Management System

➢ Case studies

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Road Safety Audit
➢ What is it ?

➢ Why do we need it ?

✓ Is: “a formal examination of a future road or

traffic project, or an existing road, in which an
independent, qualified team looks at the
project’s crash potential and safety
performance.”

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Road Safety Audit

➢“Prevention is better than cure.”

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Road Safety Audit
➢ Applying road safety engineering experience to designs before they are built.

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Road safety engineering
➢Is: “a competence and experience in the investigation and analysis of crash locations
and the design of effective remedial engineering treatments.”

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Objectives
➢ To ensure a high level of safety in all new road projects.

➢ To reduce the whole of life costs of a project.

➢ To minimise accident risk on the adjacent road network.

➢ To promote the relevance of road safety engineering in all road design

work.

➢ To promote the safety of ALL road users on new and existing roads.

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Who are the road users?

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Why?
➢ Inappropriate or outdated standards

➢ Combinations of design elements

➢ Compromises between safety and capacity

➢ Changes made during construction

➢ A policy doesn’t make it safe

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What is the risk ?

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit

➢ Overview

➢ Stages of road safety audit

➢ Audit process

➢ Checklists

➢Elements of good road safety audit

➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law Enforcement.

➢ Road Safety Management System

➢ Case studies

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Stages of audit during design
➢ Feasibility

➢ Preliminary design

➢ Detailed design

➢ Pre-opening

➢ Safety Assessment (Existing Road)

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Road Safety Audit

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Road Safety Audit

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Feasibility stage
Considerations:

➢ appropriate concept?

➢ route choice

➢ intersection numbers & locations

➢ what standards?

➢ impacts on nearby network

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Preliminary design stage
Considerations:

➢ horizontal/vertical alignment

➢ intersection layouts sight lines

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Detailed design stage
Considerations:

➢ signs & lines

➢ lighting

➢ signals

➢ roadside crash protection

➢ intersection details

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Pre-opening stage
Considerations:

➢ The effectiveness & correctness of:

✓ signs & lines

✓ landscaping

✓ crash protection

➢Readability of the road

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PRE OPENING AUDIT
Objectives

➢ Ensure finished construction has addressed safety concerns

➢ Check any other the hazardous condition

➢ To spot mistakes in signs and markings

Concept of Pre Opening Audit is “ Drive, Ride, Walk” in relation to all road users

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PRE OPENING AUDIT
Checklist (General)

Departure from standards

➢ Drainage

➢ Suitability to climatic conditions

➢ Service apparatus

➢ Access

➢ Safety Fences

➢ Bridge parapet

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PRE OPENING AUDIT
Checklist (Local Alignments/Junctions

➢ Visibility

➢Road interfaces

➢Markings

➢Signals

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PRE OPENING AUDIT
Checklist (Non motorized road users)

➢Adjacent land

➢Pedestrians

➢Cyclist

➢Non motorized vehicles

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PRE OPENING AUDIT
Checklist (Signs and Markings)

➢Design and installation

➢Pavement markings

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Audit of existing roads
➢‘Road Safety Review’

Considerations:

➢ the level of safety, considering the function of the road

➢ roadside hazards

➢ readability of road

➢ delineation

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What conditions will occur on this road?

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Audit during construction
‘Audit of Roadwork Traffic Schemes’

Considerations:

➢ staging

➢ changes & interim layouts

➢ signs & lines, lighting

➢temporary barriers

➢ Readability.

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CONSTRUCTION ZONE SAFETY & PRE OPENING AUDIT
➢Almost all works are “stage construction” process hence worksite is hazardous to
road users and site workers

➢Existing methods of maintenance and construction compromise safety and cause

delays and inconvenience

➢ In addition dust from the workplace, noise from equipment often masks the
impending accident

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Critical attention needed on:
➢ Uniform Traffic Control methods and devices as shown on drawings

➢ Maintenance of signs and devices

➢ Regular inspection (same at night)

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Better safety measures lead to:
➢ Safe and efficient movement of traffic

➢ Safe and rapid progress of work

➢ Safety of construction workers

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES
➢ To warn road users clearly and sufficiently

➢ Safe and clearly marked lanes for guiding road users

➢ Provide clearly marked buffer zones and work zones

➢ Adequate measures that control driver behaviour

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TYPICAL TRAFFIC CONTROL ZONES
➢ Advance warning zone

➢ Approach Transition zone

➢ Working zone

➢ Terminal transition zone

➢ Buffer zones

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TYPICAL TRAFFIC CONTROL ZONES

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Traffic Control Devices
PRIMARY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES:

➢Signs, Delineators, Barricades and Cones, Flagmen, Markings and Flashing lights

Desired qualities:

➢ Capable of being easily understood

➢ Should be visible and Stable

➢ Should be Installable and removable

➢ Should be maintainable

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Case Study
➢Existing sign are non- standard

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Case Study
➢Existing sign are not reflective

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Case Study
➢Existing sign layout plan is improper

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Audit of land use developments
Considerations:

➢ safety impact on adjacent roads

➢ safety at connecting points

➢ on-site safety

➢ ALL road users.

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Road Safety Audit
Needs:

➢ management commitment

➢ an agreed process

➢ an independent, experienced audit team

➢ a set of checklists.

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Road Safety Audit

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Where to from here ?
➢ Funding tied to an agreed audit process

➢ Training, experience for auditors

➢ Audits become a routine part of design

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit

➢ Overview

➢ Stages of road safety audit

➢ Audit process

➢ Checklists

➢Elements of good road safety audit

➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law Enforcement.

➢ Road Safety Management System

➢ Case studies

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How to Conduct a Road Safety Audit

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Select the team
➢ Each auditor must be independent, a “fresh pair of eyes”.

➢ Must have road safety engineering experience.

➢ Other people with relevant experience.

➢ The team leader must be a Senior Road Safety Auditor.

➢ Try to limit the size of the team so it can be effective.

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Background information
➢ The Project Designer or manager should provide the team with:
✓ all background information

✓ plans and relevant documents

✓ purpose of the project and what standards are used

✓ traffic volumes

✓ any previous audit reports

✓ any known safety issues

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Commencement Meeting
➢ The Audit team should meet with the client.

➢ This is an opportunity for the audit team to ask questions about the project.

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Site inspections
➢Both day and night time inspections should be conducted at the site to ensure that
the site is looked at in all road and light conditions.

➢ What are first impressions of project?

➢Stand back and look at overall concept and then look at the detail.

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Complete the checklist
➢The checklist is a prompt to ensure that no items are missed during the site
inspection.

➢ Auditing is not a “ticking off” exercise.

➢ Look at the project from all road users perspective:

✓ drive, walk, ride if necessary.

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Write the Road Safety Audit Report
➢Write a formal report.

➢ Write succinctly reporting on the findings and recommend corrective actions.

➢ Recommendations should not be detailed.

➢Do not redesign the project.

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Report contents
➢ Project Information – Location, audit stage, brief description of the project.

➢ Background Information – Audit Team names, client, project plan, documents used
in the audit, photos.

➢ Findings and Recommendations – main part of the report.

➢ Formal Statement – Signed by the audit team.

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Report contents continued
➢ Appendix to include photos.

➢ Corrective Action Report Table.

➢ Completed checklists – optional.

➢ Plan showing where the findings are – optional.

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Good traffic control
➢Should provide protection of ALL road users

– workers

– pedestrians

– cyclists

– motorists.

➢ This can be achieved by installing:

– using containment fences, safety barriers, lowering the speed limit through the
roadworks.

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Finalize report
➢Finalize the Road Safety Audit Report and send to the client project manager

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What does the report look like?
Observation: Problems observed and its location

Reasons for concern: The safety concerns will be narrated, supported with pictures to
appreciate the gravity of the issue

Recommendations: The Audit would recommend road safety engineering measures for
each observed problem

Priority: The Audit will also set priority levels, the urgency with which each
recommendation has to be compiled with such as “Essential”, “Highly Desirable” and
“Desirable”.

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A few things RS audit is NOT:
➢ It is not a check on the designer’s competence

➢ It is not a technical audit

➢ It is not a check on whether standards have been followed

➢ It is not a redesign

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit

➢ Overview

➢ Stages of road safety audit

➢ Audit process

➢ Checklists

➢Elements of good road safety audit

➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law Enforcement.

➢ Road Safety Management System

➢ Case studies

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Checklists for Audit?
1. General

2. Cross Section

3. Alignment

4. Interchanges

5. Junctions

6. Vulnerable Road User Provision

7. Road Signs, Markings & Lightings

8. Roadside communities

9. Roadside hazard

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit

➢ Overview

➢ Stages of road safety audit

➢ Audit process

➢ Checklists

➢Elements of good road safety audit

➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law Enforcement.

➢ Road Safety Management System

➢ Case studies

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Road Safety Audit - Interchanges
➢Reasons for concern:

Short tapering and that too into a

major highway is hazardous and
might lead to accidents.

➢ Recommendations (Essential)

Increase the weaving/ merging

length for safe weaving

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Signs
➢ Observation:

The size of cautionary sign is kept as 900m triangular.

➢ Reasons for concern:

900mm triangular sign of IRC: 67 is meant for speed upto 65kmp and in a high speed
environment in the order of 120kmph in the expressway, sign will not be noticeable
and therefore will be hazardous.

➢ Recommendations (Essential)

Provide higher size cautionary sign as recommended in the table

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Accident Site Improvement Programme

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Accident Site Improvement Programme

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Blackspot in NH NH-47 Trivandrum Bypass

➢Constructed in 2003

➢Reduction in accidents by 60% in 2004

➢First Year Rate of return 223%

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit
➢ Overview
➢ Stages of road safety audit
➢ Audit process
➢ Checklists
➢ Elements of good road safety audit
➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law
Enforcement
➢ Road Safety Management System
➢ Case studies

63
Highway safety improvement program
➢ The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a core Federal-aid program
with the purpose to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious
injuries on all public roads, including non-State-owned roads and roads on tribal land

1. Safety Education

2. Traffic Law Enforcement

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit
➢ Overview
➢ Stages of road safety audit
➢ Audit process
➢ Checklists
➢ Elements of good road safety audit
➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law
Enforcement
➢ Road Safety Management System
➢ Case studies

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Road Safety Management System
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Road Safety Management System
➢

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World Bank Global Road Safety Facility
➢

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit
➢ Overview
➢ Stages of road safety audit
➢ Audit process
➢ Checklists
➢ Elements of good road safety audit
➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law
Enforcement
➢ Road Safety Management System
➢ Case studies

69
Case Study
➢ ROAD SAFETY AUDIT FOR MADURAI RING ROAD

➢ Client: Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Corporation

➢The specific objectives of the study are as follows:

1. Review the safety status of the selected stretch of road

2. Comprehensive Road Safety Assessment of the selected stretch to identify safety related
problems, deficiencies, shortcomings

3. Suggest remedial measures

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Case Study
➢ Team
1. Professor

2. Associate Professor

3. Assistant Professor

4. Research Scholar

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Report
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Report
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Report
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Report
➢

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Report
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Report
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Report
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Report
➢

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Module 5
Road Safety Audit
➢ Overview
➢ Stages of road safety audit
➢ Audit process
➢ Checklists
➢ Elements of good road safety audit
➢ Highway safety improvement program - Safety Education, Traffic Law
Enforcement
➢ Road Safety Management System
➢ Case studies

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