The Road Safety Audit is an “evaluation of Highway Improvement Schemes to identify potential road safety problems that may affect any users of the highway and to recommend measures to eliminate or mitigate these problems”*. It is now considered by many council officials as an essential, integral part of town planning and many private organisations now consider it at least desirable and often essential.

An Audit should be undertaken by two experts, and the criteria for persons undertaking a road safety audit is described as “A team independent of the Design Team comprising staff with appropriate levels of road safety engineering work and accident investigation and prevention experience*”.

The Auditors need to take all road users into account, particularly vulnerable users such as pedestrians and pedal cyclists.

Having identified any potential road safety problems, the Auditors then make recommendations of possible solutions. The client then reviews the findings of the Road Safety Audit, deciding which recommendations to accept, and therefore implement within the scheme design and construction. For those recommendations that are not accepted, good reason should be given.

Some examples of the types of schemes that are subject to Road Safety Audits are as follows:

• Major and Minor Highway Improvements
• Development Schemes/Development Access
• Traffic Management & Traffic Calming Schemes
• Pedestrian Schemes (Pelican/Puffin/Zebra Crossings)
• Bus Priority Schemes (inc Bus Stops/Bus Lanes)
• Cycling & Walking Schemes (Cycle Lanes/Cycle Routes/Safer Routes to School)
• Motorway Improvements

Road Safety Audits should be implemented throughout the design and construction process. Typically Highway Improvement schemes shall be audited over a four stage process. These 4 stages are:

Stage 1: Conceptual Design;

• Assessment of design principles and identifying any potential safety concerns at an early stage;
• This requires a site visit and photo survey undertaken by two individuals, with the consideration of preliminary design and background data;

Stage 2: Detailed Design;

• A safety assessment of the detailed aspects of the design, operation and servicing;
• This requires a site visit and photo survey undertaken by two individuals, with the consideration of detailed design drawings, standard details and specification of highway works;

If, for any reason, a Stage 1 Road Safety Audit has not been carried out (for example, where a scheme is of such a scale that no preliminary design has been necessary and the scheme has progressed directly to detailed design with agreement of the Highway Authority) Audit Stages 1 and 2 can be combined at Stage 2 to provide a Stage 1/2 Road Safety Audit.

Stage 3: Construction;

• Audit undertaken upon completion of construction;
• Issued to determine whether contractor has constructed the works correctly, i.e. trip hazards, poor surfacing, ponding, visibility etc;
• Identify any safety concerns that could not be identified until complete;
• Usually involves a site visit undertaken by two auditors, a member of the Highway Authority and a member of the local constabulary;
• Site visit also undertaken during hours of darkness.

Stage 4: Monitoring

Audit undertaken at 12 months and 36 months post completion of the scheme; Audit requires review of accident data of the period since completion; Accident records should be analysed in detail to determine locations of Personal Injury Accidents and common trends in occurrence;

All Road Safety Audits are required to be in accordance with Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Volume 5, Section 2, Part 2, HD 19/03.

The Road Safety Audit shall be undertaken by a team of experienced Auditors who are required to visit the site together during daylight hours (and during the hours of darkness for Stage 3). At least two Auditors should be involved with any Road Safety Audit.

* Quotation taken from Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Guidance HD19/03 entitled ‘Road Safety Audit’.