Wednesday, December 12, 2018

How Road Safety Audit England Is Conducted

By Paul Wilson


The safety of any road needs to be audited at design, construction and even usage stages. This ensures that at every stage, the standards that are set in the market are adhered to. Road safety audit England takes place in clearly set stages. Each stage ensures that the basics are catered for so that more misery or problems are not piled on the project.

At Stage 1, there is deeper evaluation of the design. This is done by experts who understand engineering and requirements in construction of roads. When the design is right, construction will meet the standards and be safe for users. If mistakes abound on the design phase, the complete project will also be troublesome. Experts will recommend modifications that could be driven by spotted mistakes or the need to achieve efficiency.

At evaluation, several factors are given attention. These factors include the quality of drainage during extreme weather conditions, how safe the accesses will be to every user, whether alignments are consistent with the visibility that was used, if right turn provisions have been made and whether sufficient provisions have been made for passengers and cyclists. The location of lighting columns is also assessed alongside markings and whether they are appropriate.

Stage two also features assessment of design used. The team is tasked with considering how features on the road have been provided for. These features include junctions, markings on carriage ways and provisions made for lighting along the way. The existing layout of a highway is the center of concern at this stage. All members of the assessment team tour the site together. The make recommendations on improvements and adjustments that are meant to improve ties on the existing design.

Stage 3 auditing happens when the project is at an advanced stage. In fact, experts recommend that it takes place when the road is already open to motorists. This provides room for real time assessment. With users already driving and walking or cycling on the highway, the risks they face can be determined. It is possible to talk about oversights that could have happened during design. This stage should bring together police, local authorities and the auditing team. They are the ones to bear responsibility for the highway.

Some of the elements assessed during stage three are accuracy of implementation of the design, unforeseen dangers and safety loopholes that were heralded by the design. In case there were changes in original design, the team will assess the impact it has on usage. Alignments made at local level are also points of interest alongside provision for non-motorized users and junctions. Signage, marking on carriage ways and lighting are also points of concern.

Stage 4 and the last one is continuous monitoring. The first year of usage is critical because errors with design can cause accidents. Keep track of the accidents that happened during the first year and their details so that remedial work can be done on affected sections. Collision monitoring is also done with details on the location and common factors in these accidents.

Documentation is important during audit process. Professionals involved and the auditing team will heavily rely on these documents to make their decisions. Collaboration of all persons involved is also crucial in the success of this assessment. Experienced professionals with thorough understanding on the sector should be involved to guarantee excellent value for money.




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