Road Safety Audits Road School, 2011 Rick Drumm, P.E. Safety Engineer Federal Highway Administration

Today’s Topics “Safety is a good thing.” “Safety is a good thing.” Approaches to Safety Approaches to Safety RSAs/RSARs RSAs/RSARs Next Steps Next Steps

“Safety is a good thing.” - Rick O. Drumm, P.E.

Indiana Highway Fatalities

Highway Fatality Rate National vs. Indiana

Motor Vehicle Crashes is the leading cause of death for the following age groups:

Indiana: 2009

“Safety is a good thing.” - Rick O. Drumm, P.E.

Approaches to Highway Safety Find High Crash Locations (HCLs) Find High Crash Locations (HCLs) Specific locations Specific locations Relatively low number Relatively low number Generally, not necessarily, larger fixes Generally, not necessarily, larger fixes System-wide Improvements System-wide Improvements Wide range of locations Wide range of locations Relatively large number Relatively large number Focus on low-cost fixes Focus on low-cost fixes

Approaches to Highway Safety HCL System-wide Blend

Road Safety Audits Road Safety Audit Reviews The Basics

RSARs One of the Nine Proven Safety Countermeasures

Road Safety Audit Review a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent audit team.

RSAR’s: Basic Principles Formal Process Formal Process Team Size Team Size Multidisciplinary Team Multidisciplinary Team Independent Team Independent Team Agency support Agency support

Audit? Review? "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet." --From Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Name Game Road Safety Audit (RSA) Road Safety Audit (RSA) Road Safety Review (RSR) Road Safety Review (RSR) Road Safety Audit Review (RSAR) Road Safety Audit Review (RSAR) Road Safety Audit/Review (RSA/R) Road Safety Audit/Review (RSA/R) George (G) ??? George (G) ???

RSAR’s can be done… Planning Planning Environment Environment Design Design Construction Construction Post-construction (existing) Post-construction (existing)

RSAR’s can be done… Planning Planning Environment Environment Design Design Construction Construction Post-construction (existing) Post-construction (existing)

Team Size 3-5? 3-5? 4-8? 4-8? Settle with Settle with minimum of 3 minimum of 3 maximum of 9. maximum of 9.

Multidisciplinary Team Engineers Engineers Planners Planners Design Design Construction Construction Law Enforcement Law Enforcement Maintenance Educators EMS

Independent Team Preventing the Schultz effect…

Formal Process Inviting the right people Inviting the right people Go through proper steps Go through proper steps Formal Report Formal Report Agreement to Action Agreement to Action

Data to Collect Arials, Maps Arials, Maps Crash Data, Crash Diagram Crash Data, Crash Diagram Roadway Data Roadway Data Traffic Volumes Traffic Volumes As-Built Plans As-Built Plans

The Process

Formal Report does (should) not need to be long

Formal Process Documentation of Process Documentation of Process Team, Data, Schedule, Measurements, Checklists, Field Results Team, Data, Schedule, Measurements, Checklists, Field Results Suggests countermeasures Suggests countermeasures Short-term and long-term fixes Short-term and long-term fixes Presented to owner Presented to owner Formal Report Formal Report

Countermeasures - examples Sight distanceClear trees and brush Wet weatherSkid-resistant surface Driver didn’t see signAdd signs, larger signs ROR at curveSigns, pavement markings, improve shoulder, extend clear zone, realignment Left turns at intersections getting rear- ended Add left turn lane, protected left Night crashesLighting Include enforcement, education, and emergency services countermeasures.

Agency Support Formal presentation is made to the Agency/Owner. Formal presentation is made to the Agency/Owner. Formal report is written and sent. Formal report is written and sent. They have the decision on what action to take. They have the decision on what action to take. Their support is essential. Their support is essential.

Keys to Success Agency support and willingness to incorporate audit findings Agency support and willingness to incorporate audit findings Small multidisciplinary audit team consisting of 3 to 7 people Small multidisciplinary audit team consisting of 3 to 7 people Conduct the audit at the earliest possible stage Conduct the audit at the earliest possible stage Willingness to investigate new ideas outside the traditional scope of work Willingness to investigate new ideas outside the traditional scope of work

RSAs in Indiana Training has been done. Training has been done. Training will occur. Training will occur. People available to conduct. People available to conduct. LTAP HELPERS program can help. LTAP HELPERS program can help. INDOT requires RSAs as part of the application for HSIP funds. INDOT requires RSAs as part of the application for HSIP funds.

Action Photos

Example RSA

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study  By Eugene Wilson  Published 2003

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study  JTRP Research Report Volume 1 - Research Report Volume 2 - Guidelines  By Andrew Tarko  Published 2004  Specifically for Indiana

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Safety Review – Acceptable Features Number of lanes and widths Number of lanes and widths Adequate pavement surface condition Adequate pavement surface condition Adequate drainage conditions Adequate drainage conditions Access issues not present Access issues not present Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Safety Review – Deficient Features Vertical alignment of Cartersburg Rd. Vertical alignment of Cartersburg Rd. Pavement markings Pavement markings Signage Signage Sight distance Sight distance Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study 1021 vpd 1064 vpd 809 vpd 934 vpd Traffic Volumes

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Proposed Countermeasures Change the intersection to four-way stop controlled. Change the intersection to four-way stop controlled. Include “all-way” supplementary plaque to the stop signs. Include “all-way” supplementary plaque to the stop signs. Add advance warning stop ahead signs to approaches. Add advance warning stop ahead signs to approaches. Clear corners to provide adequate sight distance. Clear corners to provide adequate sight distance. Reconstruct Cartersburg Rd in order to eliminate the vertical grade change that currently limits the sight distance. Reconstruct Cartersburg Rd in order to eliminate the vertical grade change that currently limits the sight distance. Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Roadway Safety Audit Reviews Benefit / Cost Calculation Accident Reduction Factor (ARF) of 78% Accident Reduction Factor (ARF) of 78% A service life of 15 years for proposed project A service life of 15 years for proposed project Accident costs of $56,500 per fatal or injury accident and $6,500 per property damage only accident Accident costs of $56,500 per fatal or injury accident and $6,500 per property damage only accident Annual Maintenance Cost (AMC) of $1,800 Annual Maintenance Cost (AMC) of $1,800 Benefit / cost ratio for proposed project is 8.86 Benefit / cost ratio for proposed project is 8.86 Hendricks County Pilot Project Case Study

Road Safety Audit/Review Web Site

Next Steps

Use RSARs in Road Safety Program Identify locations Identify locations Contact LTAP (independent) Contact LTAP (independent) Contact potential team members: police, EMS, maintenance, education Contact potential team members: police, EMS, maintenance, education Conduct RSAR and write report Conduct RSAR and write report Implement countermeasures Implement countermeasures Own forces Own forces Apply for HSIP Apply for HSIP

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up... “Safety is a good thing.” “Safety is a good thing.” Blend HCL and System-wide improvements Blend HCL and System-wide improvements Conduct RSARs Conduct RSARs Highway Safety is our responsibility – we can make a difference Highway Safety is our responsibility – we can make a difference

Cause Safety