What is a road safety audit?

A road safety audit is a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent audit team. Road safety audits can be used in any phase of project development from planning and preliminary engineering, design and construction. RSAs can also be used on any sized project from minor intersection and roadway retrofits to mega-projects. The following executive summary provides additional background information on RSAs*. *The executive summary and other supporting slides found throughout this site refer to road safety audit reviews (RSARs),
which are road safety audits conducted on existing roadways. The current definition of road safety audits includes both existing and future roadways.

Before
This is a photo of an intersection in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before a road safety audit was conducted. The 2 traffic signal heads are hung on a diagonal span of wire and only one head is over the travel lanes. There are two lanes approaching the intersection separated by a dashed white pavement marking. Photos courtesy of AAA Michigan.

After
This is the same intersection after a road safety audit was conducted. The traffic signals are now hung on a box span of wire and they are now able to be hung directly over the travel lanes. Now there are three traffic signal heads, two for the through lane and one for the left turn lane. Pavement markings now show a separate left-turn lane at the intersection.

Most State DOTs have established traditional safety review processes through their high hazard identification and correction programs. However, a road safety audit and a traditional safety review are different processes. It is important to understand the difference between the road safety reviews that are commonly performed and newer road safety audits. The main differences between the two are shown below: Road Safety Reviews

RSAs

A safety review uses a small (1-2 person) team with design expertise. Safety review team members are usually involved in the design. Field reviews are usually not part of safety reviews.

A safety audit uses a larger (3-5 person) interdisciplinary team. Safety audit team members are usually independent of the project. The field review is a necessary component of the safety audit. 1

Safety reviews concentrate on evaluating designs based on compliance with standards. Safety reviews do not normally consider human factors issues. This includes driver error, visibility issues, etc. Safety reviews focus on the needs of roadway users. The safety review is reactive. Hazardous locations are identified through analysis of crash statistics or observations and corrective actions are taken.

Safety audits use checklists and field reviews to examine all design features. Safety audits are comprehensive and attempt to consider all factors that may contribute to a crash. Safety audits consider the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, large trucks as well as automobile drivers. Safety audits are proactive. They look at locations prior to the development of crash patterns to correct hazards before they happen.

This Road Safety Audits web site was developed in the interest of information exchange. The site provides an easy, centralized way to access a variety of resources related to safety audits including: an overview of road safety audits and road safety audit reviews; the benefits of conducting road safety audits and incorporating them into safety programs; the legal considerations and implications of road safety audits; how to conduct road safety audits; and links to various road safety audit resources. The site was developed by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Benefits
The benefits of incorporating road safety audits into the design process can save DOTs money by identifying safety needs before roads and intersections are built or redesigned. More importantly, they can reduce the instances of human injury. The benefits of RSAs are that they:

May help produce designs that reduce the number and severity of crashes May reduce costs by identifying safety issues and correcting them before projects are built Promote awareness of safe design practices Integrate multimodal safety concerns Consider human factors in all facets of design

PennDOT's RSA Experience Pennsylvania DOT has done 40 RSAs. Weve found that RSAs are a valuable, low-cost tool that enhances the safety of a project by providing unbiased early recommendations for the project based on safety and multimodal needs. We intend to make RSAs an easily and frequently used tool in the design process.

"The road safety audit process is valuable from the perspective of identifying deficiencies, developing mitigative strategies, improving public relations and enhancing Mn/DOT's credibility." Bernie Arseneau Director, Office of Traffic, Security and Operations. Minnesota DOT NYDOT's RSA Experience NYDOT has also benefited from conducting their own RSAs. They have experienced the following:

Crash reductions occurred at over 300 high crash locations treated with low cost improvements. Crash reductions ranged from 20% to 40%, depending on the type of improvement implemented.

International RSA Experiences A recent AUSTROADS study assessed nine design stage RSAs. Below is a summary of the findings of the study:

The benefit/cost ratios realized when recommendations of the RSAs were implemented ranged from 3:1 to 242:1. Approximately 75% of all implemented recommendations had benefit/cost ratios greater than 10. 3

The majority of design audit findings required only very low-cost responses (65% of recommendations had a cost < $1,000).

This study also evaluated the recommendations from RSAs done on existing roads. Below are the findings:

Benefit/cost ratios ranged between 2.4:1 to 84:1. Over 78% of all recommendations had benefit/cost ratios > 1.0 Approximately 47% of all proposed actions had benefit/cost ratios > 5.0 Approximately 95% of all recommendations with a cost less than $1,000 had benefit/cost ratios > 1.0.

In addition, other international communities have experienced their own benefits of conducting road safety audits:

1% to 3% reduction injury costs Minimizes crashes Minimizes need for remedial work Reduces projects life cycle costs Improves the awareness of safe design practices Leads to improved standards and management practices Considers the safety needs of all road users Cross-fertilization between departments in an agency

These benefits were cited from various international publications and based on experiences and observations of auditors and agencies that have implemented road safety audits. The cost reduction figures are based on the findings of studies in Great Britain.

Legal Issues
Just as there can be benefits to conducting RSAs, some DOTs may also experience challenges in using them. This section is intended to familiarize you with some of the general legal considerations & implications of the RSA process; this is not legal advice. No two states are completely alike in how they might view a DOTs use of RSAs. Consult your DOTs attorney for the legalities specific to your states use of RSAs.

There are legal considerations and implications to consider pertaining to RSAs. States' Rights - for most legal issues, individual state courts are free to develop their own precedents, interpretations, and hostilities or sympathies to DOTs. If the decision-maker is in line with a DOT policy that appears to be in the public's interest, some state courts are willing to extend discretionary protection to the decision-maker, regardless of the managerial level of the decision-maker. Evidence of RSAs, such as the written report and response to the report, as part of a risk management program could be used to show that a state or locality is exercising good faith in managing its liabilities and risks. 4

Steps to Conduct
This chart outlines the basic steps involved in conducting an RSA. Several organizations offer RSA training courses, some of which may be found on the Training/ Seminars section of the Resources page. Below are links to PowerPoint presentations summarizing the steps involved in conducting a safety audit as well as a case study. These are not intended to teach the subject matter, rather they may be used as a resource.

Key Issues with RSAs and Steps for Conducting a RSA A Feasibility/Planning Road Safety Audit Case Study

Keys to Successful Implementation From an agency's experience, the keys to success are:

Agency support and willingness to incorporate audit findings Small multidisciplinary audit team consisting of 3 to 5 people (may include highway/traffic safety, traffic engineering, planning, operations, geometric design, construction, maintenance, human factors, and enforcement) Conduct the audit at the earliest possible stage Willingness to investigate new ideas outside the traditional scope of work