As Singapore becomes more motorized, the probability of road users coming into conflict while sharing the same road space will increase. With it, accidents may likely increase with precious lives lost on the roads. Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA)'s vision to provide the public with smooth and safe journeys on the roads becomes more challenging to achieve. It becomes pertinent to undertake systematic investigation, treatment and monitoring of black (or accident-prone) spots, such that the problem will not grow into a bigger one. By identifying and eliminating the features that make sites hazardous, engineers can reduce conflicts among road users and hence enhance road safety. The focus of this paper will be on the development of a national Black Spot Programme, a systematic way of identifying 'worthwhile' (accident-prone) locations to be treated with effective and proven countermeasures such that the number of accidents or accident severity can be reduced. The five main steps involved are establishing a good accident database, identifying hazardous locations, diagnosing identified locations, implementing countermeasures and monitoring effectiveness. This paper addresses the approach taken by the Authority and possible future directions for the programme. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E214938.
Abstract