A Road Safety Audit identifies potential road safety problems and suggests practical ways in which these problems can be minimised.
Road Safety Audits in Ireland are carried out at specific stages in the design and construction of a project.
Stage F: Route selection stage, prior to route choice.
Stage 1: Completion of preliminary design prior to land acquisition procedures.
Stage 2: Completion of detailed design, prior to tender of construction contract.
Stage 3: Completion of construction (prior to opening of the scheme)
Stage 4: Safety Monitoring at 12 & 36 months after opening (Requirement in UK only)
Often the designer is overly focused on providing for the motorist or the predominant user. This can result in a less than desirable provision for the vulnerable user, be they a pedestrian, cyclist or person with disabilities. An independent Road Safety Audit can help re-focus the designer to ensure all users are considered and catered for as safely as possible.
The main aims of a Road Safety Audit are to:
- ensure that road schemes operate as safe as practicable
- minimise risk, conflict, collision numbers and severity
- ensure all road users are considered with regards to safety, in particular vulnerable road users, eg pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, the visually and mobility impaired, equestrians
- improve safety awareness in the design process.
We undertake detailed independent Road Safety Audits from feasibility stage to construction and operation monitoring. CST Group recognise the importance of ensuring all road schemes are audited for safety prior to being open for public use. We will ensure our audits are undertaken professionally and within the time restraints dictated by the project. Our auditors are fully trained to TII and RoSPA Audit Team Leader level and meet the criteria contained in the relevant standard (Design Manual for Roads and Bridges GE-STY-01024 Ireland and GG119 UK). Stuart Summerfield is a Fellow of the Society of Road Safety Auditors. The CST Group RSA Team has conducted in excess of 430 safety audits for Local Authority, other consultants, contractors and direct for clients from small scale improvements to major new build schemes on all classification of roads both rural and urban across Ireland and also in the UK.
It is important to remember that audits undertaken at the commencement of the design process normally result in less aborted work for the design team in the latter stages and sometimes even reduce the cost of the scheme.