PolicyforRoadSafetyinRuralRoads

Prof.B.P.ChandrasekharTechnicalAdvisor,APSRRDA,GoAP

Formerly,Director(Tech),NRRDA,MoRD,GoI

Email:sekharbpc@gmail.com

NeedforRoadsafetyManagementRoad accidents are mounting year after year becoming acauseofconcerntoallstakeholders.

Recentlyavailabledatarevealsthat anestimated1.3millionpeoplearekilledaroundtheglobeandanother50millionareinjured in road accidents.Many of those involved in seriousaccidentsremaindisabledforlifeandbecomeliabilitytotheirfamilies.

Roadaccidentsarethemajorcauseofdeathofyoungpeopleintheagegroup1529years.

The global financial costof road traffic injuriesworks out toUS$518billion

Lowandmiddle income countriesaccount for85%ofglobledeathsfromroadtrafficcrashes.

InIndiaabout41%ofthefatalitiesarepedestrians,cyclistsandtwowheelerriders.

CausativeFactorsfortheAccidents

Road

Roaduser

Vehicle

EnvironmentLiterature indicates that 6575 % of the roadaccidentsaredue to HUMANError.

Hence,thetargettotheactionplanforminimisingaccidentistheROADUSERmostly.

CommonlyKnownReasons

o IgnoranceofTrafficRulesindriving.o Notbeingtrainedscientifically.o Intoleranceandshorttemper.o Lack of awareness to deal withsituations that arise suddenly in thetrafficsteam.

o Attitude for rule breaking rather thanadheringtorulesoftheroad.

AccidentPreventionStrategy

CharacteristicsTrafficonRuralRoads

Normally the traffic comingon to the rural roads iseithergeneratedtrafficorconvertedtraffic.

Drivers and other road users lack exposure andawareness of rules and regulations or dangersassociatedwithtrafficmovement.

WhenruralroadsaredirectlyconnectedtoNHorSH,thedriversare ignorantaboutmerginganddivergingprocess,increasingtheriskofaccidentoccurrence.

Manyatimethedriversarenotformallytrained.

The traffic composition differs from that of otherhigherorderroads

RuralRoadsSafetyConcerns

Since Rural Roads are generally carry lowvolumes of traffic and accident rates arepresently low, Safety issues mainly are withrespecttotheDesignandConstructionfeatures.Further, Road Safety consciousness of localresidentsbecomeessential

EngineeringMeasures

Alignment Design with due consideration tothe terrain,obligatorypointsand the designspeed.

Examinetheconstraints, ifanyandadjustthedesign,providing the required information totheroadusers.

Providingnecessaryroad furniture forguidingthetraffic

Rechecking the geometrics before groundingthework

EngineeringMeasures(cond..)

Checkingthegeometricsateachstageofworkprocess.

Preparing alternate designs, if unforeseenground conditions are encountered duringconstructioninanyparticularstretch.

Continue construction as per the designwithfrequentchecks.

Carryout trail runs on the new facility beforeopeningtotheregulartraffic.

TheStrategyadoptedinPMGSY

DPRs are prepared as per a specially designed templatewiththefollowingdetailingkeepingsafetyasaprimaryparameter

Planning and basic design considerations capturing theinventorydetailsalongastrip,notingthefeaturesoneithersideof the centre line of the proposed road. Digital photographstaken for every 100m and further at any special feature like ajunction, culvert, curves etc. This is followed by coming withpreliminary design proposals that would require data to becollectedduringtheinvestigations.

Definingthedesignspeedandassociatedgeometricparameters.

Alignmentdesigncoveringallparameters inthehorizontalandverticalplanes.

StrategyadoptedinPMGSY(Contd)Traffic Safety and management issues are given specialemphasis fordesigning a safe road.Particular attention isgiventodesignofjunctionsandcurves.

Environmentalconcernsaretakennoteofandattendedto.

DPRs ,thuspreparedaresubjectedtoseriesofchecksbytheseniorofficersof the ExecutingAgency before forwardingthemtoanIndependentThirdPartyAuditie StateTechnicalAgency(STA).

TheSTAs,normallyreputedEngineering Institutions,checkthe DPRs for optimal design, appropriate provisions,includingthesafetyrequirementsoftheroadandapprovetheDPRs online

THIS PROCESS ENSURES SAFETYON THE PROPOSED RURALROAD , INCLUDING THE SAFETY AUDIT AT THE DESIGNSTAGE

StrategyadoptedinPMGSY

SafetyAuditDuringConstructionDuring the progress of construction, the First and Second Tiers ofQualityManagement System of PMGSY ensure that the design andprovisionsmade in theDPRare translatedon to theground. Incaseanydeficiencyisnoticed,immediatecorrectivemeasuresaretakenandthusSafetyisensured.

During construction stage it self , Independent third partyengineersviz NationalQualityMonitors(NQMs )inspecttheroadandexamine all theelements andprovisions. If anydeficiency isnoticed,theygivethemonthespot inwriting.Basedontheobservations,theexecutive agency has to give an Action Taken Report (ATR) dulyattendingtotheobservationsandtherectificationscarriedout togetasatisfactorygradeforthework.

Thus, Traffic Safety is ensured wrt. Engineering Measures underPMGSY

RuralRoadSafety provisionsinthePMGSYGuidelines

At the central level safety issues will be addressedthrough coordinationwithROADSAFETYMISSIONofMoRT&H.

Atthestate,theStateQualityCoordinator(SQC)atSRRDA level and DPIU at the District level shall betasked by the State Govt. to coordinate with StateLevel Road Safety mechanisms and programs, inparticular through membership of the State RoadSafety Council and District Road safety Committeesrespectively, created as per the provisions ofsection215oftheMVact,1988.

ProvisionsinthePMGSYGuidelines(Contd)

AsapartofRuralRoadsDevelopmentandmaintenanceprograms , theStateGovts. shallensureROADSAFETYAUDITofPMGSYworksalongwithQualitymonitoring.Itshall also ensure adequate involvement of PanchayatRaj Institutions in road safety Awareness Programs.Awareness raising activities, including publication ofpamphlets,AudioVisuals, InteractiveProgramsetc.willbe funded on the basis of annual proposals to beforwarded for the clearance of the EmpoweredCommittee,alongwithroadproposals.

ThankYou

EngineeringMeasuresinDesignPhase Rural roads have to necessarily have a tortuous path, keeping in

view thenarrow landwidthavailable.All thesame, thehorizontalcurvesshouldbedesignedscientifically,conformingtotheselecteddesign speedand terrain.Thehorizontal curvesmustbeprovidedwithsmoothtransitioncurvesandsuperelevation.Thepavementsshouldbewidenedatcurves.

The vertical profileof the road should be designed such that therequired minimum stopping sight distance is available. Suitablesummitandvalleycurvesshouldbeprovided.

Inhillroads,blindcurvesareasafetyhazard.Suitablevision bermsmaybecutatsuchlocations.

Passingplacesmustbeprovidedatconvenientlocationsparticularlyonhillroads.

Theprovisionofruralconnectivity leadstothe introductionof busservices.Properlydesignedbusbaysmustbeprovidedatbusstoptoensurethatthebusesdonothamperthenormaltraffic.

EngineeringMeasuresinDesignPhase(Cont..) Where the roads pass through habitations and school, it isnecessary that themotorizedvehicles travelat low speeds.Thiscanbeensuredbyprovidingadequatelydesignedroadhumpsorrumblestrips.

The junctionofruralroadswithamainroad isalwaysapointofconflict and an accidentprone zone. Such junctions must bedesignedscientificallybyprovidingminimumturningradii,flaringof the side roadwith taper,acceleration/deceleration lanes andadequatesightdistances.

Rampsmustbeprovidedwhere fieldpaths and cattle crossingsintersecttheroad.

Traffic signages, incorporatingwarningand regulatory signs, canenhanceroadsafety,especiallynearhabitationsandschoolzones,sharpcurves,narrowbridges, junctions,submersiblebridgesandcauseways.Thedesignmustincorporatethese.

EngineeringMeasuresinDesignPhase(Cont..)

Hazardmarkers like reflectorised delineaters must beprovidedatdangerouslocations.

Submersiblebridgesandcausewaysshouldbeprovidedwith water depth gauges and guideposts that shallremainatalltimesabovethehighestwaterlevel.

300mm dia ducts should be provided in theembankmenttoenablecultivatorstothreadagriculturalwisepipes for irrigating their fields lyingonbothsidesoftheroad.

SafetyDuringConstructionOrMaintenanceOperation

Constructionzonescreateanenvironmentwheretheroaduser is confrontedwith sudden obstacles and unfamiliarconditions.Safetyinconstructionzonesmustbeenhancedby:

Warning the road users (in the appropriate language)clearlyandsufficientlyinadvance

Providingsafeandclearlymarked lanes forguiding roadusers

Providingsafeandclearlymarkedbufferzonesandworkzones

o Barricades, drums, traffic cones, cylinders and signs aroundworkzones

SafetyDuringConstructionOrMaintenanceOperation(Cont)

o Flagmenwithredflagspositionedtoregulateandwarntheroadusers.

o Using construction machinery carefully and parking suchmachineryatlocationswheretheyarenottraffichazards.

o Stacking construction materials such that only the quantityneeded for one operation is stacked along the road, andobstructiontoroadusersisminimized.

o Providingwell designed temporary diversions as necessary sothat the essential trafficmoveswith the least hindrance. TheContractorshallbeasked toprovide theseaspartofhiswork.Thebiddingdocumentand specifications shallelaborate theserequirements.

RoadSafetyDuringUseTheHeadofPIUwillbetheDistrictRuralRoadsSafetyOfficer(DRRSO).ToensureoperationalsafetytheDRRSOshallensurethat

Routinemaintenanceofruralroadsareregularlycarriedout.Allsafetyissuesoutofmaintenanceinspectionareproperlyaddressed.In all casesof accidents and inquiry/investigation thereof, safety issuesare resolved,anda report ismade to the SQC forexaminationwhetherstandarddesignfeaturesneedtobeincorporatedinotherruralroads.

All resolutions of Panchayats regarding safety issues are acknowledgedandactionproposed/takenintimatedtothePanchayat.

Roadsafetyawarenesscampsareorganised involvingPanchayats,School,Rural road users (inhabitants as well as drivers), in accordance withprogrammes drawnupbytheStateQualityCoordinator.

RoadSafetyDuringUse(Cont..)

TheStateQualityCoordinatorwillbetheStateRuralRoadSafetyOfficerandshallensure:

AdequatecoordinationwiththeStateRoadSafetyCouncilandroadsafetyprogrammes.

Formulation of rural road safety awareness programmeproposals(forfundingunderPMGSY).

Implementation and coordination of rural road safetyawarenessprogrammes inthefield.

HoldquarterlymeetingwithDRRSOandtakefeedbackforimprovingsafetystandards.

Policy for Road Safety in Rural RoadsNeed for Road safety ManagementCausative Factors for the AccidentsCommonly Known Reasons Accident Prevention StrategyCharacteristics Traffic on Rural Roads Rural Roads Safety ConcernsEngineering MeasuresEngineering Measures ( cond.. )The Strategy adopted in PMGSYStrategy adopted in PMGSY(Contd)Strategy adopted in PMGSY Rural Road Safety- provisions in the PMGSY Guidelines Provisions in the PMGSY Guidelines (Contd)Thank YouEngineering Measures in Design PhaseEngineering Measures in Design Phase (Cont..)Engineering Measures in Design Phase (Cont..)Safety During Construction Or Maintenance OperationSafety During Construction Or Maintenance Operation (Cont)Road Safety During UseRoad Safety During Use (Cont..)