This report presents the findings of an audit of a selection of urban and rural roads in Rotorua District Council undertaken by a Transfund New Zealand Safety Audit Team. The purpose of the audit is to identify issues and suggest recommendations that will enhance road safety in the District. The audit of the network was undertaken between Wednesday 19 August 1998 and Friday 21 August 1998. It followed the draft procedure described in Transit New Zealand's document entitled "Safety Audits on Existing Roads" February 1996. Safety problems highlighted by the audit team should enable a remedial treatment programme to be prepared. It will also enable further safety studies and strategies to be implemented over wider areas of the roading network than those inspected during the Audit. The Safety Audit identified: (i) zero urgent crash risks; (ii) four high crash risks; (iii) five medium crash risks; and (iv) ten low crash risks. The overall impression was that the roads in Rotorua District were generally in very good condition from a road safety perspective. The team noted that the Council had enhanced the safety of its roads by (i) establishing a logical roading hierarchy and undertaking an effort to adopt standards to fit; (ii) achieving a high quality, consistent upgrade of its Central Business District Traffic Management Scheme; and (iii) generally keeping existing traffic facilities well maintained. Based on observations made in the Audit Report, the Safety Audit Team recommends the following safety improvements: 1. Review curve warning signs throughout the rural network. 2. Undertake a programme for upgrading street lighting on urban major routes particularly at intersections. 3. Undertake a programme to upgrade destination, motorist service and information signs in the District. 4. Adopt and apply a set of Council traffic standards based on road hierarchy and traffic volume. 5. Upgrade sight rail standards to comply with the standard design in RTS 5 guidelines for rural road marking and delineation. 6. Increase the District's maintenance programme for sweeping detritus on rural intersections. 7. Investigate producing a guideline for the application of traffic standards for urban roads based on traffic volume and roading hierarchy. 8. Investigate producing a policy for the delineation of guardrails at bridges. (A)
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