1. Regional Road Safety Workshop
Benefit of using the Road Safety Manuals

2. Content I | Road Accidents as a global perspective
II | Accident rates in some countries
III | Road Accidents as a Health Problem
IV | Road Accidents as an economic problem
V | Current Status in African countries
VI | Filling the gap – Benefit of using the Manuals
VII | Presentation of the Manuals
Examples

3. Road accidents from a global perspective
Every year more than 1.2 million people die in road crashes around the world

4. Road accidents from a global perspective
The majority of these deaths (70%) occur in developing countries

5. Accident rates in some countries

6. Road Safety as a Health Problem
Road Accidents are the most common cause of death for the age group years in most countries
In 2020 road accidents are expected to be the third highest cause of death in the world

7. Road Accidents as an Economic Problem
In most countries the loss to road accidents amounts to 1-3% of the Gross National Product

8. “The earlier the better” Road Safety Strategies
User behaviour
Vehicle
Road
And will face a tragic situation if no actions are taken
Africa has not yet reached the top rate of its motorization

9. Current Status in African countries
Some countries have RSA Manuals but RSA is not a mandatory procedure
Knowledge on accidents factors etc. is still very limited
Institutional framework for Road Safety is not yet developed: very few countries gave Road Safety Policy
Road Safety Strategies were developed in the framework of the UN Decade but are not implemented
Road Safety capacity/training is still weak: very few universities have Road Safety curriculum, professional training & certification is not developed

10. Filling the Gap – Benefit of Using the Road Safety Manuals
Based on best practices from a number of countries worldwide, including current practices in Africa
Adopting a ‘Safe System’ approach concerned with engineering the road environment so that only low severity crashes are possible when users make mistakes
The approach has been tailored for practical application in Africa
Manuals provide a common, easy way for handling Road Safety initiative in an African context
Provide management tool for assistance to prioritized areas

11. Filling the Gap – Benefit of Using the Road Safety Manuals
Cost effective solutions
Creating local capacities and employment opportunities
Positive impact on the entire population
Improving efficiency of the road transport sector
Contribute to reduce poverty

12. The Road Safety Manuals – New Roads and Scheme. Road Safety Audit
Objective:
The objective of a RSA is to identify potential safety problems so that, where possible, the design/works can be changed to eliminate or reduce them – ideally before the scheme is built and operational.
How:
An experienced RSA Team examines a new road project or highway improvement project at different stages of development to detect defects or features that may contribute to casualty crashes or to the severity of such crashes. It relies on a basic understanding of the typical crashes that are likely to occur on such roads either through historic crash data or through experience.
RSA is an independent procedure

13. The Road Safety Manuals – New Roads and Scheme. Road Safety Audit
A formal and systematic procedure to assess the safety of new constructions
In order to ensure that the road project is as safer as possible for all users

14. The Road Safety Manuals – New Roads and Scheme. Road Safety Audit
A Road Safety Audit identifies failures in a road project before the road is constructed
Audit is cost-efficient and can save many lives

15. The Road Safety Manuals – New Roads and Scheme. Road Safety Audit
WHAT IS NOT AN AUDIT
It is not a technical control of road projects
It is not a check of road standards
Recommendations from Audit are not mandatory for the Client
Road Safety Audits are not only for big projects, all road projects can be audited

16. The Road Safety Manuals – New Roads and Scheme. Road Safety Audit

17. Example: An Audit can reduce accidents by 50% before the road is built
Example: An Audit can reduce accidents by 50% before the road is built. With a cost of less 5% of the total road budget

18. The Road Safety Manuals – Road Safety Inspection
On existing Roads
Not related to a road project

19. The Road Safety Manuals
Concept :
Useful where crash data are not yet available or where details such as precise crash coordinates are not recorded
While proactive approaches are useful, they do not replace the need for good quality crash data to guide and direct road safety practices.
They can be used while the quality and availability of crash data is improved, or as a complementary approach to those described in the ‘Existing Roads: Reactive Approaches’ manual

20. The Road Safety Manuals
A two stage process

21. The Road Safety Manuals
Road Safety Inspection
Based on norms and Guidelines/Manuals
Road safety Inspection should be systematic and independent
Road Safety Inspection should be carried out by Certified inspectors/Auditors
Road Safety Inspection should be integrated into Roas Safety Action Plans

22. The Road Safety Manuals – Reactive approaches
Concept & Benefits
Using intelligence to direct and inform road safety programmes and individual interventions is known as taking a ‘reactive’ approach
Involves using crash data to identify high risk locations (known as blackspots, hazardous locations or hotspots), routes or areas across the road network
Once a high risk location has been identified, the site is reviewed in detail and a treatment programme devised.
Interventions can be targeted and designed to be as effective and efficient as possible
Effectiveness of treatments can be evaluated

23. The Road Safety Manuals – Reactive approaches
Accident Data
Each accident provides key information for Road Safety
Major source of Accident Data are Traffic Police Reports, Hospitals, Accident Information Systems
Data and accident location are needed
Reactive approaches are a long term process: a period of at least 2 to 3 years is generally required for statistical analysis

24. The Road Safety Manuals – Reactive approaches
Embedding & organizing Reactive approaches
Reactive approach is a long term and multidisciplinary process – key responsibilities
Road Safety National Committee / Commission
Road Authorities
Traffic Police
Designers
Health services

25. Example: Cost-benefit of a Road Safety Audit in some countries
A major benefit of Road Safety Audit is that accidents are prevented before they happen and that any deficiencies in the road can be repaired before the road is built.

26. Example: cost-benefit of Blackspot treatment
Targeted Black Spot
% Accident reduction
Pedestrian treatment (traffic signals)
42 to 49% pedestrian crashes and 38% all crashes
Pedestrian treatment (non signal: refuges, kerb etc. )
68% pedestrian crashes and 27% all crashes
Roadside treatment
50 to 68% roadside crashes
Off-path/head-on treatments
40% all crashes
Research works on Black Spot Treatment around the world have shown a high potential for accident reduction
Some examples from European Research:

27. Impact on population and economy
Reduce traffic death & injuries
Reduce economic cost of accidents
Create employment opportunities
Improve performance of transport sector
Sustainable growth

28. Road Safety to achieve Development Goals (SDG) – A Global Development Strategy
The goal is to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities by 50% by 2020
The approach emphasises safe systems
It is recommended to establish Road Safety Policy & Strategy
It is recommended to establish Road Safety Action Plans

29. Improved sector coordination
Road Safety is multidisciplinary – Encouraging sector coordination by using the Manuals:
High level Political support (Prime Minister)
Sector coordination (commission/committee)
Legal basis for embedding the Manuals (Legal Act/Text)
Clear organization: Role and responsibilities (Road Agency, Designer, Road Safety Team…)
Clear protocol and procedures (time, stages, types etc.)
Training local consultants/contractors – certifying auditors and inspectors
Funding mechanism (project investment, road maintenance fund, tax on fuel, insurance etc.)
Monitoring mechanisms
Regional coordination for the benefit of international transport and integration