Safety Audit Safety Audit ComponentsComponentsSafety assessment for risk Safety assessment for risk

ManagementManagement

Road Safety Audit ObjectivesRoad Safety Audit Objectives

to identify potential safety problems to identify potential safety problems for all road users and others affected for all road users and others affected by a road project and by a road project and

to ensure that measures to eliminate to ensure that measures to eliminate or reduce the problem are or reduce the problem are considered fully. considered fully.

Road Safety Audit and Risk Road Safety Audit and Risk ManagementManagement

Although discussed as separate items, they Although discussed as separate items, they are clearly relatedare clearly related

Audits provide an assessment of the relative Audits provide an assessment of the relative safety performance of scheme options and safety performance of scheme options and identify specific safety needs of various identify specific safety needs of various road users. They also may highlight the road users. They also may highlight the need to re-design other nearby road or need to re-design other nearby road or traffic projects to safely accommodate traffic projects to safely accommodate changes in traffic.changes in traffic.

Risk Management goalRisk Management goal

To identify, quantify, and control exposure to To identify, quantify, and control exposure to tort liability a risk management program must tort liability a risk management program must

Recognize and anticipate the degree of legal Recognize and anticipate the degree of legal risk inherent in all of programs, procedures, risk inherent in all of programs, procedures, or actions; or actions;

Ensure that available resources are used to Ensure that available resources are used to minimize risk and prevent lossminimize risk and prevent loss

Prepare a timely, defensive response for Prepare a timely, defensive response for actual or threatened legal actions; and actual or threatened legal actions; and

Manage claims to result in proper resolution Manage claims to result in proper resolution while achieving economy while achieving economy

Safety Audit: General ElementsSafety Audit: General Elements

location being studied, location being studied, type of facility, type of facility, type of traffic control, type of traffic control, history of problems or crashes, and history of problems or crashes, and reason for the study.reason for the study.

Condition DiagramCondition Diagram Intersections: Identify by name, type of Intersections: Identify by name, type of

pavement (if applicable) and width of streetpavement (if applicable) and width of street Traffic Control Devices (signs, signals and Traffic Control Devices (signs, signals and

pavement markings) pavement markings) Pavement Markings: Centerline, Passing Pavement Markings: Centerline, Passing

Zones, Auxiliary Markings, Zones, Auxiliary Markings, Stop Bars, Stop Bars, CrosswalksCrosswalks

Signs: All signs within the right-of-way, Signs: All signs within the right-of-way, including non-MUTCD signs, including non-MUTCD signs, sign sizessign sizes

Pavement and shoulder widths and any Pavement and shoulder widths and any surface irregularities in the drawing or textsurface irregularities in the drawing or text

Speed limits on all approaches in drawing or Speed limits on all approaches in drawing or texttext

Conditon diagram (continued)Conditon diagram (continued)

Driveways: Identify type of pavement of Driveways: Identify type of pavement of drive (concrete, asphalt, grass, gravel ), anddrive (concrete, asphalt, grass, gravel ), and

use (residential or commercialuse (residential or commercial) ) Curb: Identify type of curb, height, etc.Curb: Identify type of curb, height, etc. Median: Identify type of median (grass, concrete, Median: Identify type of median (grass, concrete,

asphalt, etc.) and widthasphalt, etc.) and width Cross corner sight distance at intersection or Cross corner sight distance at intersection or

driveway with crashes in diagram or textdriveway with crashes in diagram or text Bridges and Culvert if involved in accidentBridges and Culvert if involved in accident Other items that may be a contributing factorOther items that may be a contributing factor

Conditon diagram – additonal if Conditon diagram – additonal if appropriateappropriate

Show evidence of parking within R/W if anyShow evidence of parking within R/W if any Utility Poles / anchorsUtility Poles / anchors Guardrail: Include distance from edge of Guardrail: Include distance from edge of

pavement, height, type of end treatment pavement, height, type of end treatment Fire HydrantsFire Hydrants Highway lightingHighway lighting Trees and other vegetation, If contributing factor Trees and other vegetation, If contributing factor

to the crash problem to the crash problem Roadside features: steep grades, ditch locations Roadside features: steep grades, ditch locations

along roadsidealong roadside

COLLISION DIAGRAMSCOLLISION DIAGRAMS

Schematic drawing that has been compiled Schematic drawing that has been compiled from a series of individual crash reports from a series of individual crash reports relative to a specific location relative to a specific location (intersection or section), which shows(intersection or section), which shows

the direction of the vehicles travel prior the direction of the vehicles travel prior to contact, to contact,

pedestrians whose presence contributed pedestrians whose presence contributed to a collision.to a collision.

a minimum of three years of latest crash a minimum of three years of latest crash datadata

COLLISION DIAGRAMS (continued)COLLISION DIAGRAMS (continued)

Each crash should include the following Each crash should include the following information as a minimum: information as a minimum:

date, date, time,time, pavement conditionspavement conditions Collision types (rear end, sideswipe, turning, etc)Collision types (rear end, sideswipe, turning, etc) fault, should also be shown (i.e. injury, fault, should also be shown (i.e. injury,

intoxicated, ran stop sign or red light, etcintoxicated, ran stop sign or red light, etc.)..).

Crash AnalysisCrash Analysis

The crash analysis procedures include the study and The crash analysis procedures include the study and analysis of crash characteristics of a site. analysis of crash characteristics of a site.

Characteristics such as crash type, severity, Characteristics such as crash type, severity, contributing factors, environmental conditions, and contributing factors, environmental conditions, and time period data are analyzed. time period data are analyzed.

Detailed analysis of these characteristics are conducted Detailed analysis of these characteristics are conducted to identify safety problems and their possible causes.to identify safety problems and their possible causes.

Analysis tools may include histograms, critical rate Analysis tools may include histograms, critical rate assessments, other statistical analysis, and assessments, other statistical analysis, and professional assessment professional assessment

Modification Recommendations Modification Recommendations

Condition diagrams, collision diagrams and Condition diagrams, collision diagrams and analysis summaries provide the base for analysis summaries provide the base for potential improvements. Recommended potential improvements. Recommended improvements will require additional analyses to improvements will require additional analyses to assess the potential benefits of potential assess the potential benefits of potential improvements (crash reduction factors) and the improvements (crash reduction factors) and the return on investments. return on investments.