Improving roadway safety is an ongoing priority for transportation agencies. However, addressing safety issues in rural areas is difficult for local governments due to the limited resources available for maintenance and improvement projects. Traffic Safety Evaluations (TSE's) have emerged as an effective type of proactive tool for identifying and addressing roadway safety issues. Several benefits can be achieved through the implementation of Road Safety Audits such as low-cost/high-value improvement opportunities, promoting the awareness of safe design and maintenance practices, and providing a means to tailor the resources of an agency to meet specific problems. This project will provide a blueprint for conducting low-cost road safety audits for counties in North Dakota. The information generated from this project is potentially helpful to county agencies to outline the process of identifying potential problem areas and the process for conducting audits. Another potential benefit of this study is to generate interest and a sharing of resources and best practices among counties regarding the improvement of roadway safety. (Author/publisher)
Abstract