Background

Road Safety Audits (RSAs) are an effective tool for proactively improving the future safety performance of a road project during the planning and design stages, and for identifying safety issues in existing transportation facilities.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety and FHWA Office of Federal Lands commissioned a series of four tribal road safety audits (RSAs) as part of a Task Order under FHWA Contracts DTFH61-05-D-00024 and DTFH61-03-D-00105. FHWA wanted to demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of RSAs for tribal road agencies. The RSAs were conducted by Opus Hamilton Consultants Ltd. and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

The results of the RSAs have been compiled in this case studies document. Each case study includes photographs, a project description, a summary of key findings, and the lessons learned. The aim of this document is to provide tribal governments with examples and advice that can assist them in implementing RSAs in their own jurisdictions.

What is an RSA?

A Road Safety Audit (RSA) is a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team.

Compromises and constraints among the competing interests that typically drive a road project (such as cost, right of way, environment, topographic and geotechnical conditions, socioeconomic issues, and capacity/efficiency) are a normal part of the planning and design process. The design team has the responsibility of integrating these competing interests to arrive at a design that accommodates these interests in as balanced and effective a manner as possible. RSAs, conducted by a team that is independent of the design, enhance safety by explicitly and exclusively identifying the safety implications of project decisions. By focusing on safety, RSAs make sure that safety does not "fall through the cracks".

The RSAs followed the procedures outlined in the FHWA Road Safety Audit Guidelines document (Publication Number FHWA-SA-06-06). The procedures involve an eight-step RSA process discussed later in this case study document.

The multidisciplinary RSA team is typically composed of at least three members having a background in road safety, traffic operations, and/or road design, and members from other areas such as maintenance, human factors, enforcement, and first responders. Members of the RSA team are independent of the operations of the road or the design of the project being audited. The RSA team's independence assures two things: that there is no potential conflict of interest or defensiveness, and the project is reviewed with "fresh eyes."

RSAs can be done at any stage in a project's life:

• A pre-construction RSA (planning and design stages) examines a road before it is built, at the planning/feasibility stage or the design (preliminary or detailed design) stage. An RSA at this stage identifies potential safety issues before crashes occur. The earlier a pre-construction RSA is conducted, the more potential it has to efficiently remedy possible safety concerns.
• Construction RSAs (work zone, changes in design during construction, and preopening) examine temporary traffic management plans associated with construction or other roadwork, and changes in design during construction. RSAs at this stage can also be conducted when construction is completed but before the roadway is opened to traffic.
• A post-construction or operational RSA (existing road) examines a road that is operating, and is usually conducted to address a demonstrated crash problem.

The FHWA Tribal RSA Case Study Program

The four RSAs conducted in this case study program are summarized in Table 1.

All participating tribal transportation agencies volunteered to be involved in this RSA program. Involvement in the case study program required the agency to nominate the sites for the RSA project; provide the RSA team with the materials (such as volume and crash data) on which the RSA would be based; participate in the start-up and preliminary findings meetings; and contribute at least one tribal staff member to participate on the RSA team. The RSA teams were led by two experienced and independent consultants.

Information on each of these RSAs, including background, a summary of RSA issues, and a list of suggested improvements, is included in the Appendix.