The Practice of Road Safety Reviews

Assoc Prof Chin Hoong Chor

Domain

Explanation

Speaker

Assoc Prof Chin Hoong Chor is an Assistant Dean with the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Singapore. He holds a B.Eng and M.Eng in Civil Engineering from the National University of Singapore and a Ph.D in Transportation Engineering from the University of Southampton.

Dr Chin, whose main research interests are in transportation system modelling and transportation safety, has published some fifty papers in journals and conferences related to traffic safety and operations of transportation systems. He is a Professional Engineer and has acted as a transport consultant to a number of local authorities and multi-national companies on issues related to congestion management, traffic impact and road safety. An accredited road safety auditor, A/Prof Chin has been the safety review team leader in many road projects in Singapore.

Abstract
  • In recent years, road safety audits or reviews have been introduced in a number of countries as a proactive means of improving road safety and rectifying potential safety deficiencies on the road. In contrast to the usual accident investigation procedure that is undertaken after crashes are observed, road safety audits seek to identify safety problems prior to crash occurrence and even before the road project is completed. With illustrations from local case studies, this seminar presents a brief history of the development in the practice of such safety audits and outlines the common procedure undertaken in such an exercise. The benefits and liability concerns associated with such audits will also discussed.

Outline
  • Road safety audits
  • Objectives & benefits
  • Types of audits
  • Audit process
  • Risk & ranking assessment
  • Remedial measures
  • Future trends

Introduction
  • Traditional:
  1. Reactive safety program
  2. Accident investigation
  3. Blackspot analysis: due to many black pins (accidents) placed
  • Proactive approach:
  1. Preventive safety program
  2. Traffic conflict analysis
  3. Road safety audits
  • Historical developments:
  1. 1980’s: experimentation (rail networks, US), several country councils
  2. 1990’s: formalization (institution of highways; transit New Zealand; AustRoads)
  3. 2000’s: adaptation (North America, Europe, Asia, Africa)

Road safety audits
  • Definition: formal examination of existing/future projects of interacting users by independent examiner for accident potential & safety performance (AustRoads)
  • Objectives:
  1. Quality assurance: plan, design, construct & operate with built-in safety control measures
  2. Identify potential safety problems
  3. Take adequate measures
  • Benefits:
  1. More safety awareness
  2. Less likelihood of crashes: but may not materialize
  3. Less costly remedies
  4. Better designs: lower hazards, better safety procedures, pedestrians
  • Stages:
  1. Feasibility: layout, geometry, zones
  2. Preliminary design: intersection, interchange
  3. Detailed design: geometry, traffic schemes
  4. Post-construction: objects, signs
  5. Existing roads
  6. Temporary road works: lower hazards & better safety procedures

Audit process
  • Selection of audit team: who to audit?
  1. Qualitative: training needed, independence
  2. Composition: number, background
  • Background information:
  1. Drawing: traffic plans, layout, profile
  2. Design information: specifications, constraints
  • Commencement meeting: briefing, atmosphere, time frame
  • Safety analysis:
  1. Risk identification: site inspection (day different from night)
  2. Impact assessment: severity categories – high, medium, low, negligible
  3. Probability estimation: frequency categories – frequent, occasional, remote, improbable
  4. Risk rating: ranking categories – intolerable (needs immediate safety measures), B, C, D (acceptable, no need safety measures)
  • Safety analysis:
  1. Background description
  2. Audit findings
  3. Plans & drawings
  4. Summary of actions: for road safety
  • Completion of meeting
  • Response report:
  1. Recommendations
  2. Party to decide whether to:
  3. Do nothing
  4. Suggest alternatives

Common safety issues
  • Horizontal & vertical alignments
  • Hard objects
  • Intersections
  • Signs & markings
  • Pedestrian safety
  • Others: combination or interface problems

Future
  • Formal procedures into safety & safety R&D
  • Safety commitment:
  1. Management
  2. Working level
  3. Contractors
  • Challenges:
  • Accreditation procedure: led by AustRoads
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Assessment methodology
  • Evaluation of road safety:
  1. Road safety performance index: layout & alignment; objects; vulnerable users; lightings; signs
  2. Performance charts
  3. Performance rating

FAQ
  • User expectation: the more developed the country, the more affluent, the more expectation on road safety
  • Audit-action separation: if anticipated (audited) – do nothing à why? Document reasons à litigation
  • Aim: maximize consistency & minimize subjectivity
  • Existing roads: 5yr/check, proportional to available budgets

 

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