Road Safety Audit Definition and Goal

Road Safety Audit (RSA) may be defined as the formal examination of the planning, design and
construction of a road project, and of the characteristics and operation of an existing road, by
independent and qualified examiners, to identify any potentially unsafe feature or operational
arrangement that may adversely affect the safety of any road user.

The goal of the RSA process is to ensure that all road projects and all existing roads are capable of
providing the highest practicable standard of traffic safety for all road users.

General Attributes of Safe Road

Standards of horizontal and vertical alignment which are appropriate to the environment,
Road cross-section with appropriate lane and shoulder provisions, catering for the various traffic volume,
Access control consistent with the function of the road in the overall road network,
Clearly visible and uncomplicated intersection with appropriate traffic control providing safe movement for all
road user groups
Well thoughtout traffic signing with clear advice, positive warning, unambiguous directional
information,
Adequate and consistent delineation of the roadway,
High standard of skid resistance pavement with good drainage,
Appropriate street lighting
Overall traffic management which properly considers the needs of all road users.

There are Five (5) Stages in the development of highway / road projects at which it is most appropriate to carry
out RSA:
Stage 1: Feasibility & Planning Stage
– planning concept, network adequacy, road hierarchy etc.
Stage 2: Draft (Preliminary) Design Stage
– functional design, access control, vulnerable road users, junction type, etc.
Stage 3: Detailed Design Stage
– geometric design, road markings, street furniture, landscape and clear zones, etc.
Stage 4: Construction and pre-opening stage
– traffic management during construction, site inspection and construction compliances, pre-opening day and
night time inspection, etc.
Stage 5: Post opening stage
– safety performance during the defect liability period or auditing of an existing road.
Stage 5: RSA of an Existing Road

-Road safety audits are desirable also on existing roads regardless of them having been audited during planning,
design and construction. Stage 5 type audits of existing roads may include sections under construction or
undergoing maintenance operations.
-The stage 5 audit attempts to identify and correct potential hazards before accidents occur due to them (ie, it is
pro-active rather than reactive).
-An audit at this stage will identify safety problems which develop due to normal “wear and tear” from traffic
operation. It will also identify hazards due to the way the landscaping has matured, e.g. trees and foliage
obstructing traffic signs or sight distance impaired.
-Inspections by day and night are essential to check inadequacies in delineation and visibility etc. Apart from any
relevant plans, the auditor should have available data on the accident history along the route and traffic flows etc.
so that a proper assessment can be made of the roads' safety performance. Again the stage 5 audit will
particularly look at the way each road user group 'sees ‘the road from their particular safety viewpoint.