iRAP has released a new manual for monitoring road safety using iRAP’s methodology. The iRAP Road Safety Performance Tracking Manual offers clear, practical guidance for using iRAP Star Ratings and associated tools to measure and demonstrate improvements in road infrastructure safety over time.

Ensuring Consistency and Reliability

Designed primarily for suppliers, consultants, and contractors, the manual outlines the essential requirements for establishing a robust baseline and conducting follow-up assessments. Its core mission is to ensure results are reliable, repeatable, and comparable. By following these standards, practitioners can guarantee that changes in Star Ratings, estimated Fatal and Serious Injuries (FSI), and key performance indicators (KPIs) reflect genuine infrastructure improvements rather than variations in methodology.

Practical Guidance for Practitioners

The manual supports users in planning performance tracking projects from the ground up. It covers critical technical areas, including:

• Data integrity: Requirements for quality assurance and model version alignment.

• Consistency: Maintaining segmentation consistency and realistic speed assumptions.

• Technical Precision: Matching road sections across different time periods and avoiding common analytical pitfalls.

• Effective Communication: Selecting appropriate metrics based on data reliability to clearly report findings to governments and funding partners.

By establishing core principles and providing step-by-step technical advice, the manual reduces the risk of misinterpretation and strengthens confidence in reported safety outcomes.

From Assessments to Systematic Monitoring

Ultimately, this manual enables road authorities and their partners to move beyond “one-off” assessments. It encourages the integration of systematic performance monitoring into large-scale infrastructure programs. This transition supports greater accountability for safety investments, enables transparent reporting against national and international safety targets, and fosters the continuous delivery of safer roads for all users.