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 Identify and eliminate “out of date” standard and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 (preferred)
 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

accredited
 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 (ROW)
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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 (day & night)

 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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TASK

1. Explain in detail the importance of implementation RSA

in Malaysia. Give any fact, issue etc.

2. Discuss what are the challenges of implementation RSA

especially dealing with an existing road in Malaysia.
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What to Audit?

 Vertical & Horizontal Alignment

 Cross Section
 Intersections
 Expressway & 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
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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
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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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Intersections

 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 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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Traffic Signal Installation

 Where warranted for safe, efficient & equitable

 Provision, location & spacing of traffic signal
 Operating effectively & efficiently
 inadequate signal hardware
 signal hardware & phasing adequate (pedestrian)
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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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Traffic Signing

 Unauthorized 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) & the
existence of ‘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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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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Inadequate pavement marking leads to poor lane discipline and

erratic traffic behaviour
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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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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

Locations

-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

Locations

-KM 357.9 High School Entrance

Junction-
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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

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