Every avoided accident, killed or injured person counts in the effort to increase road safety. Many accidents happen at locations spread across the road network and it may therefore be difficult to identify particular dangerous location through traditional black spot analyses. Road safety auditing (RSA) has proven itself as an effective tool to prevent road accidents on new and reconstructed roads. The paper will present how road safety auditing/assessment of existing roads is also an important and cost-effective approach to improve road safety. This is suggested as an additional "stage 6" to the normal 5 stages in the road safety auditing system. A registration tool for such "stage 6 audits" developed by COWI for a pocket PC (PDA), where the GPS technology is combined with digital maps, will be presented as well. The paper will briefly present the background for introducing RSA, the different phases of design where RSA may be used and in particular how RSA may be used on existing roads in a new "stage 6". Typical examples will be presented showing the type of problems and improvements typically suggested by a road safety auditor. The paper will also provide examples of expected impacts of road safety auditing. Finally, suggestions on how RSA in general can be used under different circumstances to improve road safety will be provided. (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see E216632.
Samenvatting