On 7 September 2009 Samoa became the first country in over 40 years to switch the side of the road upon which its vehicles are driven (from the right of the centre line, to the left). The switch was to improve accessibility to cheaper, better quality second hand cars from overseas and to align Samoa with the majority of its neighbours. Many Samoans also reside in Australia and New Zealand during their lives, becoming familiar with driving on the left. The initial announcement of the switch in 2007 was controversial and a pressure group mounted a legal challenge that was finally heard in the Supreme Court in August 2009. The judgement favoured the Samoan government; the switch proceeded as planned. ARRB Group was commissioned by the Samoan government to independently review the suitability of preparations and identify the likely road safety implications of the switch, culminating in giving expert evidence at the court hearing. This paper explores why a traditional 4Es approach to road safety was chosen for the assessment mechanism and how it was then implemented. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E220164.
Abstract