1.

1 Purpose
1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of Volume 4: Road Safety Audits is to act as a best-practice
guideline document that:
• Describes the road safety audit process
• Provides guidelines for conducting road safety audits at the following stages:
v Preliminary Stage
Volume 4 is a best-
v Draft design Stage
practice guideline v Detailed design Stage
document for Road v Construction Stage
Safety Audits v Pre-opening Stage
v Existing Roads
• Provides checklists to assist in the road safety auditing of projects
• Provides a guideline to design and assess designs for road safety

1.2 Scope of Volume 4: Road Safety Audits

Volume 4 covers the full extent of Road Safety Audits.

1.3 Overview of Volume 4

• Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to the purpose and scope of Volume 4
of the South African Road Safety Manual.
• In Chapter 2 the concept of Road Safety Audits is discussed, covering topics
such as the history, purpose, benefits, key requirements, road safety
auditors etc.
• Chapters 3 to 8 describes the different project stages at which a Road
Safety Audit can be conducted. It covers, for each stage, the following:
- A description of the stage
- The reasons for conducting a Road Safety Audit at this particular stage
- The Road Safety Audit Team/ Auditor
- The Background Information
- The Road Safety Audit Report
- The Checklist for the Road Safety Audit
- References.
• Chapter 9 describes the additional checklists in Appendix I to M that can be
utilised for specific projects
• Appendix A provides some examples of issues to consider in Road Safety
Audits. The Appendix consists of a series of photographs to assist the Road
Safety Auditor with the Road Safety Audit process.
• Appendix B to H contains general checklists to assist the Road Safety Audit
Team
• Appendix I to M contains the additional checklists that can assist the Road
Safety Audit Team in special projects such as traffic calming, rezoning
applications, etc.

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2 THE ROAD 2.1 The Definition of a Road Safety Audit
SAFETY AUDIT A Road Safety Audit is a formal examination of a future or existing road/
CONCEPT traffic project/ any project were interaction with road users takes place, in
which an independent, qualified examination team reports on the accident
potential and safety performance of the project.

Definition of a Road 2.2 The History Of Road Safety Audits

Safety Audit

2.2.1 Introduction
The reduction of accident numbers and accident severity is the aim of road
safety projects all over the world.

The transportation system consists of the road environment, the road user
(pedestrians, drivers, cyclists etc.) and the vehicle. Generally, a variety of road
environment conditions, road users and vehicle types interact with each other in
the transportation system without any negative consequence. An accident
occurs when one or a combination of these elements causes a failure of the
system (1).

Research completed in Australia (2) established the contribution by the road

environment, road user and human factors to be as shown in Figure 2-1.

Figure 2-1: Factors contributing to road traffic accidents (RTA-NSW,

1993)
The road environment contributes to 28% (exclusive or in combination with other
factors), of all accidents.

The road safety audit process focuses on the contribution of the road elements
to accidents. By identifying the potential safety problems during the early stages
of a project, the design can be modified or changed at low cost, thus eliminating
potential accidents.

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The Road Safety
Audit process was
developed to target
the improvement of
the road
environment as a
method to improve
road traffic safety.
VOLUME 4: ROAD SAFETY AUDITS
A short history of the development of road safety audits in the world is described
below.
2.2.2 United Kingdom
Safety Audits were first introduced during the Victorian period on railroad
networks. During the 1980s Malcolm Bulpitt introduced the safety audit concept
of independent checking of roads with the goal of improving the operational
safety of projects of the Highways and Transportation Department of the Kent
County Council (3).
The development of procedures and the implementation thereof continued and
in 1991 the UK Department of Transport made road safety audits mandatory for
all ‘national trunk roads and motorways over a specified cost’ (4).
2.2.3 Australia
During 1990, the State of New South Wales in Australia introduced road safety
audits. The first Road Safety Audit ever conducted took place on the Pacific
Highway, an existing facility, and the team made use of specially prepared
checklists. In 1994 guidelines for the Road Safety Audit process were prepared
by AUSTROADS in the form of the Road Safety Audit document.
2.2.4 New Zealand
After the establishment of Transit New Zealand in 1989, the first Road Safety
Audit Manager was appointed in 1990. Pilot road safety audits started during
1992 on post-construction projects. A document dealing with a set of policies
and procedures applicable to road safety audits was developed and
implemented in 1993. Mandatory Road Safety Audits were introduced for a 20%
sample of the State Highway projects.
2.3 The Objectives of a Road Safety Audit
The objectives of a Road Safety Audit are:
• To identify and report on the accident potential and safety problems of a
road project
• To ensure that road elements with an accident potential are removed or that
measures are implemented to reduce the accident risk thereof.
Final Draft: 25 May 1999 2-2
 2.4 Road Safety Audits as Part of the Road Safety
Strategy of a Road Authority
Road Safety Audits can be utilised effectively as an accident prevention
measure during the preliminary and design stages by identifying potential
accident-causing road elements which can be removed before implementation,
or as an accident reduction tool on existing facilities by reporting on the safety
performance and accident potential of the facility.

For Road Safety Audits to be effective, commitment is required from the

management of a road authority. Road Safety Audits should be an integral part
of the overall program of an authority as it will otherwise mistakenly be perceived
as a process that “questions the competence and professionalism of the
designer or road builder”. The management of a road authority should bear in
mind and support the fact that the Road Safety Audit Process provides
“specialist advice to the design team”. The Process therefore also requires a
spirit of “cooperation and mutual respect among affected functional areas” (5).

It is interesting to note that, in a way, up to the 1990s, South African road safety
practitioners have been conducting some kind of Road Safety Audit for a
number of years already. The Road Safety Audit as described in Volume 4,
however, is different, since it is:
• A formal process
• An independent process (i.e. it is not an employee of the Client or a member
of the Design Team that checks the design/ facility)
• A process that can easily be incorporated as a phase/ phases in the life-
cycle of a road project (5)
• A process with focus on accident prevention rather than on remedying an
existing road safety problem.

Each road authority at all levels of government should strive to reach the goal of
improving road safety in South Africa as set out by the various policy documents
using the Road Safety Audit Process as a tool.

It is recommended that, once a road authority agrees to make use of Road

Safety Audits as part of its road safety strategy, the guidelines of this volume are
made part of the road project specifications.

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Road Safety Audits:
The sooner – the
greater the benefit
It is far easier and
less expensive to
change a line on a
design/
construction
drawing than to
change an existing
road safety problem
VOLUME 4: ROAD SAFETY AUDITS
2.5 When To Perform A Road Safety Audit
A Road Safety Audit can be performed during any of the following six stages;
however, the sooner, the greater the benefit:
• Stage 1: Preliminary Stage
• Stage 2: Draft Design Stage
• Stage 3: Detailed Design Stage
• Stage 4: During the Construction Stage
• Stage 5: Pre-opening Stage
• Stage 6: Existing Road projects.
It is recommended that:
• Road Safety Audits performed during an early stage of the project (Stage 1
to 5) be conducted for all new road projects as it is far easier and less
expensive to change a line on a design/ construction drawing than to
change an existing road safety problem. In some cases, it may happen that
once a feature is built in, not much can be done to reduce the safety hazard
it poses – a Road Safety Audit at the Draft and Detailed Design stage
should prevent this.
• Stage 4 Road Safety Audits be conducted during the construction phase as
a construction zone can pose a significant danger to road users. The Road
Safety Audit process during construction can be seen as a check to ensure
that the intended traffic accommodation plan provides for the necessary
levels of road safety.
• Road Safety Audits be implemented as part of the Road Safety Process
shown in the Preface, Figure I-1.
2.6 The Purpose Of Road Safety Audits
The purpose of Road Safety Audits can be summarised as follows:
• To minimise the severity and accident risk of road traffic accidents that may
be influenced by the road facility or adjacent environment
• To minimise the need for remedial measures after the opening of a new
road project
• To reduce the full life-cycle cost of a road project by reducing its accident
cost
• To create and maintain an awareness of safe design practice during all the
stages of a road project (5).
Final Draft: 25 May 1999 2-4
 2.7 The Benefits Of Road Safety Audits
Road Safety Audits have the following benefits if implemented as part of the
road safety management plan (see Volume 1) of a road authority:
• A reduction in the likelihood of accidents on the road network
• A reduction in the severity of accidents on the road network
• An increased awareness of safe design practices among traffic engineers
and road designers
• A reduction in expenditure on remedial measures
• A reduction in the life-cycle cost of a road (4).

2.8 Key Requirements for Road Safety Audits

The following aspects are key requirements for successful Road Safety Audits:
• Adequate time and information to conduct the road safety audit (9).
• Commitment from management
• A recognised and agreed Road Safety Audit process
• An independent road safety audit team or auditor
• Checklists for the various stages of a road project
• The development of expertise
• Evaluation and monitoring of the Road Safety Audit Process (6).

Adequate time should be provided during the process to allow for:

• An appropriate number of site visits, including a night-time inspection
• The scrutiny and evaluation of safety related aspects of all drawings and
related project documents
• The collection of any additional information required to carry out the Road
Safety Audit
• The preparation of a formal Road Safety Audit Report.
The Road Safety
Audit Team should
be independent 2.9 The independence of the Road Safety Audit
Team
The Road Safety Audit Team should be independent by:
• Acting as a body separate from the design team
• Not being in any way involved in the design process
• Not having a line management responsibility for the work that is being
audited.

The independence of the Road Safety Audit Team is of the utmost importance. It
ensures that:
• The design or site is viewed with “fresh eyes”
• The Road Safety Audit Team is not limited by an involvement in the design
• The Road Safety Audit Team can enquire objectively into details, design
policies and approaches (7).

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 2.10 Cost of Conducting Road Safety Audits
Australian and New Zealand experience has shown that Road Safety Audits add
1
4 percent (maximum) to the cost of a road project. It is, however, necessary to
evaluate this cost in terms of the potential benefits of the Road Safety Audit
(Ogden, 1996). Examples of savings by conducting Road Safety Audits are:
• A saving in time and cost by changing project details at the planning and
design stage rather by changing or removing a road element once installed
• A reduction in the likelihood of accidents and therefore in accident costs
• A reduction in litigation related costs.

The Lothian Regional Council of Scotland (8) estimated the benefit: cost ratio of
Road Safety Audits as being 15:1, while TRANSIT New Zealand (9) has
estimated a 20:1 ratio.

The Client should note that the available funding for a particular Road Safety
Audit will determine the extent and quality of the Road Safety Audit. This
assumes that the road safety audit team was selected based on the
requirements set in this volume, conducted the Road Safety Audit in a
professional and technically sound manner, and that the correct Road Safety
Audit process was followed.

Although the Road Safety Audit process is a relatively new concept, experience
by the UK, Australia and New Zealand has shown that:

• Existing processes in design and construction allow for the implementation

of deficient or inappropriate road elements in a project
• Road safety problems that became evident after a year or two after the
opening of a new road project, could have been identified beforehand by
conducting a Road Safety Audit
• In the UK, experience has shown that at least one third of accidents can
potentially be avoided or severity reduced by conducting a Road Safety
Audit
• Budget allocation for Road Safety Audits can be relatively small in
comparison to road project costs. In Australia and New Zealand experience
has shown that Road Safety Audits add about 4 percent (maximum – see
Footnote 1) to the road project cost (5).
• The greatest benefit for implementing Road Safety Audits is the fact that it
reduces the overall life-cycle cost of a road project.

1
The cost of a road safety audit is project related and also stage related.

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 2.11 Evaluation of Road Safety Audits
Road Authorities introducing Road Safety Audits should implement an
evaluation program that will address the following aspects:
• “Procedures, problems encountered, and effectiveness of the system;
• Critical appraisal of the checklists and their use; and
• Evaluation of costs and resources by scheme type and stage” (5, 10).

2.12 The Road Users

It is essential during a Road Safety Audit that all road users and the associated
safety issues are considered extensively. During the Road Safety Audit, the
interaction between the different road users may in itself indicate specific
potential safety problems to the Road Safety Audit Team. No Road Safety Audit
can be carried out without due cognisance of the needs of each specific road
user.

The road users involved in a typical road project can be grouped as follows:
• Passenger vehicles
• Heavy vehicles
• Motorcyclists
• Cyclists
• Pedestrians: children, elderly people etc.
• Elderly drivers
• Truck drivers
• Other Drivers
• The disabled
Figure 2-2: Some of the road • Public transport.
users to consider in a
Road Safety Audit: In each case, the particular road user has certain minimum requirements such
Pedestrians and Cyclists as turning radii for vehicles, perception and reaction times of drivers, etc.

2.12.1 Pedestrians
Two groups of pedestrians can be isolated that have specific needs/ limitations;
firstly, the young pedestrian and, secondly, the elderly pedestrian. The young
pedestrian is easily hidden from a motorist’s view and has a much lower eye
height than the adult pedestrian. Research has indicated that elderly
pedestrians may be less alert, may suffer from poorer sight/ hearing and may
have a limited ability to judge the speed of vehicles and the gaps between them.

2.12.2 Heavy vehicle drivers

Although a heavy vehicle driver has a much higher eye height than the
passenger vehicle driver, they are affected to a greater extent by overhanging
vegetation and delineation problems. The heavy vehicle requires a longer
distance to stop and is also much wider than the passenger vehicle, which
increases the probability of blind spots.

VOLUME 4: ROAD SAFETY AUDITS Final Draft: 25 May 1999 2-7


A Road Safety Audit
Team should refrain
from shortening the
checklists
VOLUME 4: ROAD SAFETY AUDITS
2.12.3 Cyclists
Gradients and pavement conditions easily affect cyclists.
2.12.4 Elderly drivers
Research showed that the “visual and cognitive performance on driving-related
tasks diminishes with age” (11). This may cause a reduced ability to recognise
traffic control measures and to judge gaps in the traffic.
2.12.5 Other
For more detailed information on the human side of road safety, refer to the
chapter dealing with ”The Human Factor and Road Safety Engineering” in
Volume 1: Principles, policies and procedures.
2.13 The Use of Checklists
Checklists are provided for each stage of a road project for which a Road Safety
Audit are conducted (See Appendices).
A Road Safety Audit Team should refrain from shortening the checklists. In the
case of existing roads in particular, a road safety assessment should first be
conducted to identify the locations/ road sections where Road Safety Audits
need to be conducted. By concentrating on only some of the aspects mentioned
in the checklists, the Client will not receive a Road Safety Audit report but just a
report dealing with some sort of site inspection or evaluation.
NOTE that the checklist:
• Should be used as a “memory prompt” (5) and a form of guidance to ensure
that all issues are considered
• Does not restrict the Road Safety Auditor that will make extensive use of
his/her knowledge and prior experience to carry out the Road Safety Audit
• Forms part of the formalisation of the Road Safety Audit Process that will
ensure that Road Safety Audits carried out all over the country consider the
same aspects in the audit process
• Can be used by the Designer / Design Team to increase the safety of the
design prior to the formal Road Safety Audit Process.
Final Draft: 25 May 1999 2-8
 2.14 Accreditation of Road Safety Auditors.
There are three categories of Road Safety Auditors, namely:
• A Road Safety Auditor: Technical Member
• A Road Safety Auditor: Non-technical Member and
• A Senior Road Safety Auditor.

2.14.1 The Road Safety Auditor: Technical

The following basic requirements are set for a Road Safety Auditor: Technical
member to be included in the Road Safety Audit Team:

• Attendance of at least one workshop or training seminar on Road Safety

Audits during the past two years to ensure that the individual clearly
understands the principles and basic procedures of a Road Safety Audit
• Expertise in one or more of the following fields:
§ Road safety engineering
§ Accident investigation and prevention
§ Traffic engineering
§ Road design
§ Management of the road network
• The individual should have the ability to observe and understand the
potential safety problems for all road users.

Note that the Road Safety Auditor that only meets the basic requirements may
not conduct a Road Safety Audit as a single team member.

2.14.2 The Road Safety Auditor: Non-technical

The following requirements are set for a Road Safety Auditor: Non-Technical
Member to be included in the Road Safety Audit Team:

• The attendance of at least one workshop or training seminar on Road Safety

Audits during the past two years to ensure that the individual clearly
understands the principles and basic procedures of Road Safety Audits
• Expertise in one or more of the following fields with specific reference to the
particular stage of the road project (refer to sections 3.2.2, 4.3, 5.3, 6.3, 7.3,
8.3 on the selection of the road safety audit team for the various stages):
§ Community-related aspects (note that this must be area/ region specific)
§ Land-use (city planners)
§ Accident reconstruction and prevention (SAPS)
§ Law enforcement (traffic officers)

Note that the Road Safety Auditor: Non-technical Member may not conduct a
Road Safety Audit as a single team member.

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The Senior Road
Safety Auditor is the
only auditor that
may conduct a Road
Safety Audit as a
single team
member.
VOLUME 4: ROAD SAFETY AUDITS
2.14.3 Senior Road Safety Auditor
The following requirements are set for a Senior Road Safety Auditor to be
included in the Road Safety Audit Team:
• Conform to the basic requirements of a Road Safety Auditor: Technical
Member
• Expert knowledge in road safety engineering with at least three years of
experience
• The Senior Road Safety Auditor should have at least conducted five road
safety audits as a Road Safety Auditor: Technical Member under a Senior
Road Safety Auditor
• Should conduct at least one road safety audit annually.
2.15 Terminology
The following terminology are used in the Road Safety Audit Process:
• “Road Safety Audit”
A Road Safety Audit is a formal examination of a future or existing road/ traffic
project/ any project were interaction with road users takes place, in which an
independent, qualified examination team reports on the accident potential and
safety performance of the project.
• “Client”
The client is the road authority or body responsible for a road project which
appointed a person or body to engage in the design, construction or
investigation of a road project.
• “Audit Team”
The audit team is a group of one or more individuals with specialist expertise in
road safety engineering, accident investigation and prevention, traffic
engineering and road design who undertake a road safety audit.
• “Design Team”
The design team is a group of one or more individuals appointed by the client to
plan, design or supervise the construction of a new road project.
Final Draft: 25 May 1999 2-10
 3.1 The Role-players In Road Safety Audits
3 ORGANISING
A ROAD
3.1.1 The Client
SAFETY AUDIT
The Client is an important role-player in the Road Safety Audit Process as the
Client:
• Determines whether Road Safety Audits are conducted
• Motivates for and allocates a budget for conducting Road Safety Audits
• Manages the Road Safety Audit Process by ensuring that the Road Safety
Audit Process is respected as a process supporting the goal towards
providing a safe road environment and not as a process that questions the
professionalism or technical ability of road designers or traffic engineers
• Determines at which stage(s) a Road Safety Audit is conducted
• Appoints the Road Safety Audit Team
• Specifies the requirements and budget for the Road Safety Audit
• Recognise that a Road Safety Audit requires information and that it can only
be completed within a reasonable time period
• Decides which action should be taken after careful consideration of the
Road Safety Audit Report.
• Determines the effectiveness of Road Safety Audits by evaluating the Road
Safety Audit Process and implementing Road Safety Audits as part of the
overall program of the road authority/ organisation.

3.1.2 The Road Safety Audit Team/ Auditor

The Road Safety Audit Team has the following responsibilities:
• To conduct the Road Safety Audit in an ethical, professional manner
WITHOUT creating the perception that the professionalism and technical
ability of the design team is questioned
• To remain independent and to inform the Client should the status of their
independence be in danger or be altered during the Road Safety Audit
Process
• To conduct the Road Safety Audit according to the recognised Road Safety
Audit Procedure.
• To restrict the Road Safety Audit to safety related aspects only
• To ensure that they do not attempt to redesign or be prescriptive to the
design team
• To ensure that they do not make decisions on the implementation of
recommendations (9).

3.1.3 The design team

The design team has the responsibility to accept the Road Safety Audit as a
process that is aimed at improving the road safety of the road/ project, and not
an attempt to question their professionalism or technical knowledge. As a
member of the Design Team, several other issues besides road safety need to
be considered, making the task of the design team very difficult.

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 3.2 The Steps in the Road Safety Audit Process

3.2.1 Introduction
The Road Safety Audit Process as shown in Figure 3-1 ensures that the Client
and Road Safety Audit Team is clear on the project goals, completes all the
necessary steps and that the Road Safety Audit can be completed successfully.
It is important that the objective of each step is met.

The steps in a Road Safety Audit are shown in Figure 3-1 (adapted from (7)).

Figure 3-1: The steps in the Road Safety Audit Process

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 3.2.2 Selecting the Road Safety Audit Team

The objectives set for the selection of the Road Safety Audit Team are:
• Select an independent Road Safety Audit Team
• Select a Road Safety Audit Team with appropriate knowledge and expertise.

3.2.2.1 The selection requirements

The success of a Road Safety Audit depends to a great extent on the successful
selection of a Road Safety Audit Team.

The Road Safety Audit Process is a process that adds expert road safety
knowledge to a road project. The Road Safety Audit Team should therefore
consist of accredited Road Safety Auditors (refer to section 2.15 for more detail)
with at least one team member with expert knowledge and experience in road
safety engineering.

The size and specialist skills of the Road Safety Audit Team depends upon:
• The Road Safety Audit Project size
• The stage of the road project (preliminary, draft design, detailed design,
construction, pre-opening stage or existing roads). In each chapter dealing
with the different stages of a road project, guidelines are provided on the
selection of the Road Safety Audit Team (7).

Experience in the UK, Australia and New Zealand has showed that a Road
Safety Audit Team should consist of three basic team members, i.e.:
• A road safety engineering specialist with experience in investigation of
hazardous accident locations and road safety engineering principles and
practice
• A road design engineer
• An individual with road safety audit experience that can generate discussion
and provide assistance during the road safety audit.

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 3.2.3 Provide background information
The background information provides the auditor with all the information that is
necessary to conduct an adequate and effective Road Safety Audit. The
During the audit, background information typically includes the following:
the Road Safety
Audit Team will PROJECT BACKGROUND
The project background includes the following aspects (7):
report on the safety
• The purpose of the project
aspects only, and • The approach to achieving the purpose of the project
their statements • Deficiencies in the project that need to be considered during the Road
should not reflect or Safety Audit
consider restrictions • A list of compromises that were made during the design process and
reasons for the compromises.
or limitations placed
• Community input/ discussions/ consultations/ correspondence
1

on the design team

by non-safety LOCATION-SPECIFIC DATA
aspects The location-specific information typically includes:
• Traffic volumes for:
- Commercial and non-commercial uses
- The various road users (heavy vehicles, passenger vehicles,
pedestrians etc)
• Known unresolved road safety issues
• A list of guidelines and standards that were utilised in the design
• Environmental background such as adverse weather conditions (fog, mist,
snow etc.), topography, historical monuments, vegetation and services
A Road Safety Audit • Adjacent land-use and community characteristics
does not audit the
DRAWINGS AND PROJECT DOCUMENTATION
applied design
• Project drawings that are relevant to the particular stage of the project.
standards although (Refer to the particular section in the volume dealing with the background
reference can be information for the particular stage)
made to these • Drawings and plans covering the adjacent land-uses and road network that
standards where might affect the proposal or be affected by the proposal

they relate to safety

aspects. 3.2.4 Have a commencement meeting
The objectives for the commencement meeting are as follows:
• To familiarise the Road Safety Audit Team with the project background
• To familiarise the Client and/or Designer with the Road Safety Audit Process
• To clearly define the purpose of the Road Safety Audit
• To establish the format of the report (whether the Client prefers the findings
per category or for each road section/ project part per category).

1
This may be reports that supported earlier decisions or budget allocations.

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 3.2.5 Inspect the site and assess the documentation
The site inspection and assessment of the documents take place parallel with
each other. The background information is typically assessed before and after
the first site visit.

3.2.5.1 Assessment of the documentation

The objectives of the assessment of the project documentation are:
• To study and analyse the design and information
• To assist in the processes of identifying potential safety problems and
determining the safety status of the project.

During the assessment process, the checklists are used and the Road Safety
Audit Team may hold discussions with the client and/or design team on issues
that require clarification.

3.2.5.2 Site inspection

Site inspections are essential for the success of a Road Safety Audit of any
stage of a road project.

A number of site inspections should be carried out with the following objectives:
• To familiarise the Road Safety Audit Team with conditions during the day
and night-time and also during adverse weather conditions
• To establish the interaction of the road project with the adjacent road
network and land-uses
• To identify potential safety problems such as conflicts between the
movements of the different road users at a particular site
• To review the site characteristics by using the checklists and the knowledge
and expertise of the Road Safety Audit Team
• To acquaint the Road Safety Audit Team with:
v The adjacent road sections
v How the design of the road project handles the transition between the
new road project (or existing location) and the adjacent road sections/
intersection (i.e. design consistency)
v The extent to which the driver is prepared for changes in design.

Note that ALL Road Safety Audit Team members should be present at ALL the
site inspections.

It is recommended that photographs be taken during the site visit to be included

in the Road Safety Audit Report. Apart from being illustrative, this also serves as
a record for the Client. Videos can also be useful for later reference.

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A Road Safety Audit
is a FINAL report
It is never
prescriptive
It is not a remedial
measure process.
VOLUME 4: ROAD SAFETY AUDITS
3.2.6 Writing the Road Safety Audit Report
3.2.6.1 General
A Road Safety Audit Report is a formal document describing the potential safety
problems and road safety status of the project.
The purpose of the Road Safety Audit Report is:
• To describe the background information provided for the Road Safety Audit
• To report on the findings of the Road Safety Audit
• To make conceptual recommendations regarding remedial measures that
indicate the direction or nature of a solution but do not specify the solution
for the problem
Note that:
• The Road Safety Audit is a FINAL report – the report can not be amended
and the Client may not request amendments or ask team members to omit
certain detail or findings
• The Road Safety Audit Report is written in an objective, professional and
sympathetic manner, and should not create the impression that the
professionalism or technical knowledge of the design team is being
questioned
• The Road Safety Audit Report should never be prescriptive
• The listing, description and evaluation of solutions for the problems should
not be seen as part of the remedial process. A remedial measure report
should be prepared to deal with the detailed specified solution for the
problems – refer to Volume 5.
Final Draft: 25 May 1999 3-6
 3.2.6.2 The report format
It is recommended that the Road Safety Audit Report consists of the following
four chapters, namely: Project Information, Background Information; Findings
and Recommendations and Formal Statement.

Project Information
• Project title
• Project description and overall plan
• Organisation/ person that requested the Road Safety Audit
• Stage of project at which Road Safety Audit is conducted

Background Information
• List of all the background information that was utilised in the Road Safety
Audit
• The name, job description and road safety auditor level (technical, non-
technical or senior road safety auditor) of each Road Safety Audit Team
member
• The checklists that were utilised during the Road Safety Audit and the steps
followed during the Road Safety Audit Process
• Detailed information on the site visits conducted during the Road Safety
Audit, stating for each visit: date, time, conditions: weather, environmental
and traffic

Findings and Recommendations

The findings of the Road Safety Audit may be included in the report in two ways,
namely:
• Listing the aspects that pose a safety problem per category or
• Listing the aspects that pose a safety problem per road section, starting at
the start of the road project and ending at the end of the project, per
category.

For each aspect that was identified during the Road Safety Audit:
• State briefly the findings after the site visits and assessment of the
documents, with supportive drawings and photographs
• State the specific anticipated accident type that will result from this safety
problem
• If any, make basic recommendations on the direction of the solution. NOTE
that the recommendations in a Road Safety Audit Report are never specific
or prescriptive. The Remedial Measure Report (as dealt with in Volume 5)
deals with specific recommendations
• Mark problems serious enough to warrant immediate action. These
problems marked as ‘FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION’ or if they pose a great
2
safety hazard, it should be marked as ‘IMPORTANT’ .

Formal Statement:
A dated and signed statement from the Road Safety Audit Team that indicates
that the Road Safety Audit has been completed (7).

2
These two statements do not indicate that the other findings stated in the Road Safety
Audit Report are unimportant.

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 3.2.7 Have a completion meeting
The objective of the completion meeting is to convey the findings of the Road
Safety Audit Report.

NOTE that the completion meeting should NOT be viewed as an opportunity to

disagree with the findings of the report.

At the completion meeting, the designer may ask for suggestions to solve the
safety problems identified (7).

In the case of a Road Safety Audit at Stage 6: Existing Road project, the Client
will typically indicate whether the members of the Road Safety Audit Team are
appointed as Consultants to complete a Remedial Measure Report (refer to
Volume 5).

3.2.8 Following up and formal feedback

3.2.8.1 Following up
After receiving the Road Safety Audit Report, the Client/ Designer will assess the
report and may decide to appoint an independent Consultant to prepare a
Remedial Measure Report (Volume 5) in the case of an existing road audit or a
report stating the recommended action on a detailed level. The Client/ Designer
will then decide whether to proceed with remedial action and which remedial
measure will be implemented. The Client then prepares a formal feedback as
described in Section 3.2.8.2.

3.2.8.2 Formal feedback

The objectives of the formal feedback from the Client are:
• To provide a formal acknowledgement of receipt of the Road Safety Audit
Report
• To detail the action which will be taken on each finding of the report and/or
reasons for not taking any action.

The formal feedback should be regarded as an official document and be signed

by an individual with a recognised position within the organisation of the Client
(AUSTROADS 1993).

The formal feedback from the Client should be filed with a copy of the Road
Safety Audit Report for later reference.

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 3.2.9 Prepare a remedial measure report (ONLY for
existing road projects)
In the case of a stage 3 Road Safety Audit, the preparation of a Remedial
Measure Report is of the utmost importance. The Client may decide to appoint
another Consultant/ Consulting Team to deal with the Remedial Measure
Report. It is further important to note that the Road Safety Audit Process should
not be confused with a Hazardous Location Investigation or with a Remedial
Report. In the case of the Hazardous Location Investigation, the accident
statistics of the site are made available, and the purpose of the process is to only
identify solutions for particular accident types (as is the case with remedial
measures). By confusing the two procedures or by combining the two
procedures, the valuable input from the Road Safety Audit Process is lost.
During the Road Safety Audit Process, the accident data are not made available.
This ensures that the Road Safety Audit Team considers all potential safety
problems and not only those that can clearly be linked to accidents that actually
occurred. The Road Safety Audit Process therefore provides the accident
prevention benefit that every road authority should ultimately strive for.

Volume 5: Remedial Measures and Evaluation may be studied for more

information on the Remedial Measure Report and Process.

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 4.1 The Stage 1 Road Safety Audit: Preliminary
4 STAGE 1 ROAD
Design Stage of a Project
SAFETY AUDIT:
A Stage 1 Road Safety Audit has the following objectives:
PRELIMINARY
DESIGN STAGE • To identify the potential safety problems that can influence the :
- Project scope
- Choice of route, layout and/or treatment
- Design standard selection
- Impact on the adjacent road network
- Access Control: Provision of accesses/ intersections/ interchanges
- Continuity of routes (5)
• To consider the design and operating speeds (9)
• To assess the relative safety performance of various alternatives for the
road project

4.2 Reasons for Conducting a Stage 1 Road Safety

Audit: Preliminary Design
Jordan (1998) listed the following reasons for conducting a Stage 1 Road Safety
Audit at Feasibility Stage:

• It offers the greatest scope to improve the safety of a road project

• It ensures that safety is considered as criterion for the selection of elements
of a road project
• It eliminates safety-related problems that cannot be altered after land
acquisition or approval of rezoning applications
• It assists the project team to grasp which road users are affected and should
be provided for
• It tests the compatibility of the concept and design of the road project with
the functional classification of the road and the expectations of the affected
road users
• It considers the adjacent road network to ensure that the road project is
compatible with the adjacent road sections/ road network, and that it will be
consistent with the rest of the network.

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 4.3 The Road Safety Audit Team/ Auditor
It is recommended that the Road Safety Audit Team for a Stage 1: Feasibility
Stage Road Safety Audit consists of the following (all accredited Road Safety
Auditors):
• A road safety engineer
• A road design engineer
• A town planner to assist in the land-use – safety-related problems. The town
planner will be able to give the Road Safety Audit Team an idea of the
status of existing and expected land uses.

NOTE that the use of community representatives as Road Safety Audit Team
members during Stage 1 will have limited benefit, as the feasibility stage may
overwhelm the individual, therefore limiting the contribution he/ she can make.
Community input can be provided by means of the background information
provided by the Client/ Designer.

4.4 Background Information

The background information that will be required to perform a Stage 1:
Feasibility Stage Road Safety Audit will greatly depend upon the type and extent
of the particular project. The Road Safety Audit Team can refer to Section 3.2.3,
4.1, 4.2 and the checklists for some guidance on the background information
that will be necessary.

4.5 The Stage 1: Feasibility Stage Road Safety

Audit Report
The Stage 1 Road Safety Audit Report should conform to the requirements set
in Section 3.2.6.

4.6 Checklist for the Stage 1: Feasibility Stage

Road Safety Audit
The Checklist for the Stage 1: Feasibility Stage is included in Appendix B. The
checklists focus on the following categories:
• General Topics
• Design Issues
• Intersections
• Land-use and road users
• Environmental Constraints
• Other Matters.

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 5.1 The Stage 2 Road Safety Audit: Draft Design
5 STAGE 2 ROAD
The Draft Design Road Safety Audit is done after completion of a preliminary or
SAFETY AUDIT: draft design (5).
DRAFT DESIGN
A Stage 2: Draft Design Stage Road Safety Audit has the following objectives:
• To address issues regarding layout of intersections/ interchanges
The human being is • To address the design standards utilised for the draft design (13)
a wonderful • To consider, among others, the following:
creature but, with - Alignment (horizontal, vertical)
- Sight distances
limited capabilities.
- Layout of intersections
Humans needs - Widths: Lanes and shoulders
information to make - Cross-section and superelevation of pavement
decisions (requires - Provision for road users: Pedestrians, Cyclists, Heavy vehicles, etc
- Any deviation from guidelines and design standards
time to receive and
• To consider the issues listed in the Stage 1 Road Safety Audit if the Stage 2
process that Road Safety Audit is the first audit of the road project.
information and to
arrive at that NOTE that the Stage 2 Road Safety Audit: Draft Design should be performed
before any land acquisition takes place.
decision) –
sometimes, making
incorrect decisions. 5.2 Reasons for Conducting a Stage 2 Road Safety
It is therefore the Audit (Draft Design Stage)
responsibility of the
Jordan (12) listed the following reasons for conducting a Stage 2 Road Safety
safety engineer and Audit: Draft Design audit:
design engineer to • It may be the first Road Safety Audit of the project
design the • It will identify any issue omitted in Stage 1 - these issues may have been
omitted due to a lack of available information at the feasibility stage or as a
transportation
result of certain design decisions not yet taken during the feasibility stage
system in such a
way that it
accommodates the 5.3 The Road Safety Audit Team/ Auditor for a
human being – not Stage 2: Draft Design Stage Road Safety Audit
that the human The Road Safety Audit Team for a Stage 2 Road Safety Audit should at least
being should fit into consist of the following two individuals (accredited Road Safety Auditors):
the designed project • A road safety engineer
• A road design engineer.
(Ogden, 1996).

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 5.4 Background Information
The background information that will be required to perform a Stage 2: Draft
Design Stage Road Safety Audit will greatly depend upon the type and extent of
the particular project. The Road Safety Audit Team can refer to Section 3.2.3,
5.5.1, 5.5.2 and the checklists for some guidance on the background information
that will be necessary.

5.5 The Stage 2: Draft Design Stage Road Safety

Audit Report
The Stage 2 Road Safety Audit Report should conform to the requirements set
in Section 3.2.6.

5.6 Checklist for the Stage 2: Draft Design Stage

Road Safety Audit
The Checklist for the Stage 2: Draft Design Road Safety Audit is included in
Appendix C. The checklists focus on the following issues:
• General Topics
• Design Standards
• Alignment
• Intersections
• Special road users
• Road traffic signs, markings and lighting
• Construction and operation
• Other.

Reference should be made to Volume 7: Design for Safety on further detail of

safety related aspects of the different elements.

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