ROAD SAFETY

AUDIT
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Definition
A formal examination on
• Planning,
• Design,
• Construction and,
• Operation
of new road project or existing road.
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 Highest practical standards

 How?
Identification of potential safety hazard on,
 New projects
 Existing road
 Mitigation measures
 Reduce through life cost to community
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 Identify/eliminate of potential/future/existing
- unsafe features
- unsafe operations
• Accident potential
• Injury potential
- more Cost-Benefit system
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 Prevention is better than cure

 Do it right for the first time
 Easier to change while on drawing
board
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 Eliminate unsafe feature at design stage (easier)

 Avoid “lock in” condition

 Identify and eliminate “out of date” standard and

practices

 Identify hazards due to combination elements

(intersection)

 Review changes due to later operational

changes/safety enhancement
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 RSA Concept:
 Pro-active measures
 Accident prevention and reduction approach
 Avoid costly payouts

 Thus, the legal system should embrace such

concept
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 Independent examiners
 Qualified examiners
 Individual checker
- P. Eng (Ir)
- Experienced in Analysis and
Diagnosis of Accidents
- Design experience
 Group of checker
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Skill and Experiences in:

 Traffic Engineering (must)

 Traffic Management (must)
 Road Safety Engineering (must)
 Human factor/behaviour (necessary)
 Vehicle/Driver/Environment interaction (necessary)
 Accident Investigation and Countermeasure
(preffered)
 Design experience is desirable
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Either :
 Individual with the criteria
 Audit Team:
- composition of each stages
- more pairs of eyes
- Principal Auditor/RSA Manager
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Independent of Auditors:

 Credibility
 Fresh Eyes
 Impartial
 Focus on safety aspects
 Communication skills/PR
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Accreditation of Auditors:
 Government Policy that RSA auditors must
be accredated
 Meet set criteria
 All stages or part of the stages
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 Earliest recognized stage

 Not always applicable for very small
projects/improvement
 Major transport infrastructure projects
(planning stage)
- Concept
- Route option
- Network safety
- Interchange type/location
- Access control
- Vulnerable road users
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• Traffic Engineering Features

- Cross section element
- Intersection layout
- Lane
- Traffic control option
- Geometric standard
- Right of way
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 Test Design Decision

 Identify potential hazards

- Combination vertical/horizontal alignment
- Max/min design criteria
- Final grading
- Lighting
- Signing
- Marking
- Street furniture
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 Site Inspection
 or just prior opening/practical completion
 Able to visualize 3D and changes made, as build
 Last chance for best condition for safety
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 Traffic Management
 Carried out at least 3 times
 Beginning of construction
 Periodically during construction
 Just before opening
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 Identify Safety Problems

 “ Wear and Tear”
 Accident Data “needed”
 Different from Blackspot
 Identify/correct hazard
before too late
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STEP ACTION RESPOSIBILITY

1 Preparing the Audit Brief Client/Designer/Construction

Appointing the Auditor(s) Manager
Appointing the Independent Assessor
2 Assembling Background Information, Plans Client/Designer/Construction
to be audited and other documents Manager

3 Initial Meeting with Auditor(s); Handing over Client/Designer/Construction

of plan etc for audit; Discussions, Manager
arrangement for inspections etc
4 Doing the Audit, examining the plans, site Auditor(s)
inspection etc

5 Preparing the Audit Report Auditor(s)

6 Completion Meeting (if required), Clients/Designer

Presentation and discussion of Audit
Finding
7 Deciding the action required on the Audit Client/Independent Assessor
Finding
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What to Audit?

 Vertical & Horizontal Alignment

 Cross Section
 Intersections
 Expressway & Other Interchanges
 Traffic Signal Installations
 Street Lighting
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What to Audit? (cont’d)

 Traffic Signing
 Regulatory & Warning Sign
 Guide & Direction Signs
 Pavement Marking
 Roadside Safety & Landscaping
 General Traffic management items
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Vertical & Horizontal Alignment

 General alignment standard

 ‘Sub-standard’ curves
 Inadequate sight distance

Consistent alignment standard

with good cross-section and
roadside safety features leads to
lower accident rates
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This sharp curve at the end of a long straight in a rural area takes
driver by surprise & quickly becomes accident
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Cross Section

 any location -> change abruptly along route

 Identify -> capacity is restricted
 provision protection ‘turning vehicles’
 inadequate shoulder width
 correct type of kerb
 provision for VRU (footpath, paved shoulder)
 lack of access control
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The cross section here is good

except for the absence of
footpath

Road shoulder too narrow and

inadequate width.
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Intersection layouts which

may look OK in a plan view
can sometimes be very
confusing when viewed
from driver eyes height
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Barrier Kerb used for

speed less 60 km/h

Semi-Mountable Kerb most

recommended for high speed
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The deep roadside drain here is

very close to traffic lanes and
poses a serious hazard
especially for motorcyclist. Note
also the concrete foundation at
the edge pavement can caused
severity
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Intersection

 Sight distance (ASD,ESD, SISD)

 General layout
- caters safely for all road users
- any lack of auxiliary lane
- any discontinuity of ‘through’ lane
- occurrence of ‘trap’ lane
- where ‘seagull’ type layout are used
- operational at roundabout
- channelisation island is too small
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Inadequate sight
distance, hidden
pavement on crest

Inadequate sight distance to

nose exit. Trimming the
foliage on the left hand side
would improve an
approaching driver view
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Vehicles queuing back onto the expressway reduces capacity

and increases the risk of rear-end, side swipe & other collision
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Expressway & Other Interchanges

 appropriately located, space and suit

 problem associated incompatibility (at-grade)
 appropriate & standard geometric (ramp)
 provision of auxiliary lanes (length & width)
 taper of auxiliary lanes
 any deficiency in Sight Distance (exit & entry)
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Hazardous access (to and from) petrol station on

expressway type road
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Traffic Signal Installation

 Where warranted for safe, efficient & equatable

 Provision, location & spacing of traffic signal
 Operating effectively & efficiently
 inadequate signal hardware
 signal hardware & phasing adequate (pedestrian)
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Poor visibility, unexpected signalised intersection

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Traffic signal here lack visibility and prominence & some signal
heads are hidden by traffic sign
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Poorly located traffic signal

increase accident risk &
often endanger the signal
equipment
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Street Lighting

 Provided on arterial & highway in cities or ‘built –

up’ areas (parking & pedestrian)
 an appropriate standard, consistent need
(location, pedestrian, other factor)
 Identify -> lighting poles constitute hazard
 eliminated by join sharing traffic signal pedestal &
electrical power poles)
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A median barrier like this offers on ideal and safe place to locate lighting poles,
however in this case the poles have been positioned off-centre leaving inadequate
clearance behind the guardrail for its deflection during vehicle impact
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The visibility of the right hand primary traffic signal here is impaired
by positioning the light pole in front of it
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Traffic Signing

 Unauthorised traffic sign & non-standard sign

 Location & spacing (too closed , too many)
 Clearly visible & prominently displayed
 Legibility of the information
 Contain too information
 Type of sign post used
 Lack of clearance to traffic sign
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Regulatory & Warning Sign

 An appropriate provided where needed

 Where they are warranted (warning sign)
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Guide & Direction Sign

 Its been done on a systematic route or regional
strategy
 Important intersection are provided:
- Advance Direction Sign
- Intersection Direction Sign
- Re-assurance (Distance) sign
 Correctly positioned
 Any lack of providing ‘Road Names’, ‘Route Num.’
 Poor legibility & poor arrangement
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The ‘double diamond’ warning sign at the island nose hide

approaching vehicles at a critical point for drivers waiting to enter
this intersection
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Traffic sign with too much legend create a potential hazard

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Pavement Marking
 Adequacy & visibility ( night and wet weather)
 Correct type of line marking
 Any discontinuity (‘through’ lanes) & ‘trap’ lane
 lack of ‘hazard marking’ (end of island &median)
 Auxiliary ‘turn lane’ with appropriate arrow
 Pavement arrow & other marking confusing
 Positioning of ‘stop’ lines & ‘holding’ lines
 Justification for any ‘Yellow Bar’ marking
 Effectiveness of road marking (night & wet )
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Inadequate pavement marking leads to poor lane discipline and

erratic traffic behaviour
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Note here how the ‘through’ traffic on the highway must

merge with the left turn entry traffic. Note also the absence
of a footpath places the pedestrians at risk on the shoulder
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‘Trap’ Lanes occurs where normal ‘through’ traffic lanes are

marked as right turn lanes. This discontinuity of the
‘through’ lanes results in lane-changing conflicts & higher
accident rates
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Road marking which are inappropriately used or appear illogical to

motorist lose their credibility, are ignored & increase accident risk
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Roadside Safety & Landscaping

 ‘Clear Zone Width’ (CZW)
 ‘Fixed Roadside Object’ within CZW
 Provision of guardrail along the road
 Correct treatment to the end of guardrail
 Adequacy of ‘Bridge Railing’ system on all bridge
 Treatment of ‘Approach Guardrail’ to bridge
 End of Median Barrier are properly treated
 Existence of various poles
 Degree of hazard ( large trees, boulder etc)
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The provision of a ‘Clear Zone’ by placing poles and sign posts well
back from the traffic lanes allow errant vehicles to recover without
crashing
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This above-ground drainage structure is not appropriate close to

the traffic lanes
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Poles located in this narrow

median close to the end nose are
highly vulnerable to vehicle
impacts. A minimum end
clearance of 5m is desirable
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Breaks in the guardrail (e.g pedestrian movements) need to

be designed to avoid exposing the guardrail end to trafic
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The consequences of improper treatment of the guardrail

ends can be disastrous
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Inappropriate connection and transition of the bridge rail

system in these photo’s will have serious consequences for
an impacting vehicle
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An improper guardrail to bridge rail connection like

this can be corrected at the construction stage
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Misalignment of the concrete

bridge barrier with the adjacent
bridge railing and the ‘spearing’
projection of the rails results in
a very unsafe arrangement
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The ends of the New Jersey barrier past the Toll Plaza pose
considerable hazard in an area where unpredictable traffic
movement often occur.
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General Traffic Management Items

 Any provision for Motorcycles
 Degree of safety afforded to pedestrian
 adequacy & credibility of existing Speed Limits
 Effectiveness of Speed Limit Signing
 Sub-standard curve & low speed curve section
 Need at sub-standard curve ( guide post, chevron)
 Degree of safety afforded to all road users in town
 Availability of overtaking opportunities
 Rest Area, Roadside Stopping Places, Bus Stop
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Uncontrolled access and parking pose a safety hazard in this

relatively high speed environment
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Special attention to traffic management provision : sign,

roadmarking, street lighting, intersection layout, signal design,
parking control, pedestrian facilities etc.
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CASE STUDY :
FEDERAL ROUTE 1 (F001) FROM KM
350 SOUTH OF KAJANG TO KM 358.8
KAJANG POLICE STATION
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General Road Safety Deficiency

 Inadequate roadway capacity
 Lack of access control & parking control
 Parking manoeuvres
 Inadequate provision for VRU
 Inconsistent cross section along the highway
 Roadside hazards
 Poor traffic signal arrangement
 Inadequate provision & maintenance of pavement
markings & lanes delineation
 Inadequate traffic signing & street lighting
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Road Safety Deficiency at Specific

Loactions

-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

Street lights and traffic sign post all mounted very closed to road
edge
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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

Street light condition in Zalco Motor Junction

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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

‘Seagull’ type treatment involves a ‘trap’ lanes for right turners

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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

Complex traffic movements in addition to the old highway

carriageway on the north east side of the junction
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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

Lack of channelisation in the side road and visibility of the highway

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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

Signal post located too closed to median nose. Note that the
signal pole in the narrow median has been knocked down
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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

Large concrete buttress constructed in the median

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-KM 357.4 Zalco Motor Junction-

The sign pole in a

bad condition
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Road Safety Deficiency at Specific

Loactions

-KM 357.9 High School Entrance

Juntion-
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-KM 357.9 High School Entrance Junction-

A ‘trap’ lane in High s School Entrance. Note also the incorrect use
of the ‘Berhenti’ (STOP) Sign
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-KM 357.9 High School Entrance Junction-

Two Petrol Station (Shell and Petronas) located on a short service

road just south and opposite the High School
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-KM 357.9 High School Entrance Junction-

Poor visibility for right turners into the High School due crest hill
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-KM 358.1 Jalan Timur Junction-

Inadequate pedestrian facility at Jalan Timur Junction

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-KM 358.1 Jalan Timur Junction-

Dangerous unprotected child pedestrian at Jalan Timur Junction