Countries all over the world have implemented road safety strategies aiming at significantly reduce traffic accidents besides social and economic costs. Many of these strategies are corrective, for they are based in studies of accidents that have already occurred in specific places. In recent years, a new technique has been developed to evaluate the potential risks of accidents related to road deficiencies - design, maintenance or operation. The concept is based upon the identification of any road problem even before it causes any accidents. In some countries, this technique is already a compulsory activity. The road safety audit could be defined as a formal analysis of a road before and/or after its construction. Such analysis should be carried out by independent and qualified auditors, which would evaluate the potential for accidents and the road safety performance. In Brazil, the initial experiences on road safety audit have been carried out during the 90's both on urban and rural roads, showing relevant results. The proposal is to turn road safety audit into a mandatory part for all new road designs as well as for the main existing roads. Consequently, a great number of traffic accidents could be avoided and many invaluable lives could be saved. For the covering abstract see ITRD E137120.
Samenvatting