Road Traffic Safety Audit (RSA)

CHAPTER TWO

2.0. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. INTRODUCTION TO ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY ANALYSIS

Road traffic safety is a term that can be referred to all measures and approaches that are applied to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured. The road users referred in this context are the; pedestrian, motorcyclist, pedal cyclist, road side vendors, and drivers themselves.

The road traffic safety analysis is a systematic procedure that is done; firstly determine the road traffic safety problems and finally proposing appropriate countermeasures to improve road traffic safety. Further road traffic safety analysis is a part of the Road Safety Audit (RSA). Basing on the scope of this project, the traffic safety analysis that is to be done is

The post opening Road Safety Audit is usually done to the existing road network which involves checking adequacy of the road, its furniture and the road side from an explicit point of view conducted to respond perhaps to near misses or road user complaints. The RSA is more concerned with “fitness for Purpose” that is checking that the scheme meets the safety needs of everyone. Particular attention is projected to the needs of vulnerable road users, the pedestrian, motorcyclist, pedal cyclist passengers waiting for transport and road side vendor.

2.2 REASON FOR CONDUCTING ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY

It has been approximately one and a half a year since the commencement of the Dar Rapid Transit (DART) system of public transport. And there have been reports of road traffic crashes which have involved other road users and this system of public transport at the points that involves their interaction. As well there have been frequent complaints from road users particularly, pedestrians on their safety upon crossing the Dar Rapid Transit premises. The following are the major reason for carrying out this Road traffic safety analysis. Since compliance with standards does not guarantee safety Safety can be unduly compromised in the tradeoffs between conflicting

It may be reduced by ensuring high quality of medical services; that is presence of well-trained medical technician and specialist along with well-equipped trauma centers at hospitals.

2.4. ACCIDENT DATA AND RECORDING SYSTEM

2.4.1. Introduction

Accident data are either figures or drawings which present the location, time of the day, weather condition, and types of vehicle involved in the crash, gender and age of those succumbed in the crash as well as the fatality of the crash. Since the project involves road traffic safety analysis, then it requires close and thorough examination of accident data in order to come out with probable cause of safety problem along with appropriate countermeasure to reduce actions which results to such safety problem.

Study of traffic accidents is fundamentally different from methods employed to observe other traffic parameters since accidents occur infrequently and at unpredictable times and locations, they cannot be directly observed and studied in the fields with records of traffic