ThaiRAP partners have ambitious plans to Star Rate the country’s entire road network this year, including first assessments of Thai Motorways and 500 km in Bangkok with associated capacity building.

Of Thailand’s 52,000km national network managed by the Department of Highways, 8,200 km (16,400 carriageway km) of priority roads are now being Star Rated by the Department of Highways, with the remainder to receive a light Star Rating by year end.

Two motorways have also been assessed, in collaboration with motorway officials and iRAP, marking the first time that the safety of Thai motorways has been assessed in this manner. Informed by the findings, necessary safety improvements are being made to ensure the motorways achieve a 3-star or better rating.

The safety of Bangkok’s city networks is a key priority. ThaiRAP is collaborating with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to enhance road safety through iRAP capacity building and assessment. Their joint efforts are focused on Star Rating over 500 km of the city’s road network and developing Safer Roads Investment Plans with the aim to enhance safety and Bangkok’s overall road infrastructure.

Kasem Choocharukul, ThaiRAP Lead and Professor at Chulalongkorn University said, “The iRAP Star Rating assessment and its associated framework are fundamental to developing safer roads worldwide. In response to the high fatality rates on Thailand’s roads, the country has adopted a proactive approach to promote road safety by integrating iRAP tools into its strategies and plans. Presently, several Thai road agencies are well acquainted with the procedures involved in the Star Rating assessments and are implementing them across a range of road types, from motorways to local streets. At the same time, ThaiRAP provides support by facilitating capacity building and conducting technical assessments. It is anticipated that these efforts will contribute substantially to improving road safety infrastructure, ultimately fulfilling the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.”

iRAP Star Ratings are included as key performance indicators for road infrastructure safety in Thailand’s New Roads Policy, which includes the requirement for all new roads to achieve a 3-star or better safety rating, the National Road Safety Master Plan 2022-2027 and Bangkok’s Road Safety Master Plan and Road Safety Action Plan 2022-2025.

In 2022, ThaiRAP received the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Road Safety. This recognition highlights the programme’s significant contribution to improving road infrastructure safety in the country.

ThaiRAP partners have cumulatively assessed nearly 51,000km of Thailand’s roads and designs, including eight schools, influencing the safety of USD$1.5 million of road infrastructure investment. A total of 1,832 people have received iRAP training in local events, along with an additional 237 individuals who have benefited from iRAP online training.

ThaiRAP is led by Chulalongkorn University, one of 11 iRAP Centres of Excellence actively contributing to the development of global road infrastructure safety standard and tools.

According to iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer, achieving UN Targets 4 for greater than 75% of travel on 3-star or better roads for all road users in Thailand by 2030 stands to save an estimated 1.7 million deaths and serious injuries over the 20-year life of road treatments with an economic benefit of USD$201.5 billion – over $34 for every $1 spent.

Stay abreast of ThaiRAP progress at https://www.thairap.org/

Images credit: Bangkok, Pexels King Ho and iRAP