Innovative enhancements to iRAP’s Star Rating for Designs (SR4D) web app, allowing the safety of road designs to measured before the commencement of civil works, will be unveiled today at the IRF World Congress in Istanbul.

The safety of nearly 58,000 kilometres of road designs in 63 countries have already been assessed and improved with the use of SR4D, and the latest enhancements  make usability even better for road designers worldwide.

Star Rating for Designs (SR4D) is a process and evidence-based programme of applications informed by the globally recognised iRAP Methodology for safer road infrastructure.

It enables the objective measurement, and improvement, of the level of road safety ‘built in’ to a road design for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists, before the commencement of civil works.

Using the tool, road engineers and designers can define a road’s geometry and code its features to obtain a globally recognised iRAP safety Star Rating, along with fatal and serious injury estimations, and safety investment plans to optimise safety.

New enhancements provide a more powerful toolset for creating and editing road geometry, streamlining the design process; new capability to import images and mapping files for precise geo-location; improved dataset management; and capability to submit datasets for quality assurance, further improving the integrity of road safety assessments in meeting the 3-star or better global standard and UN Target 3 for new roads.

iRAP Global Programme Director Greg Smith said, “Ensuring the safety of a road design before it progresses to the construction phase is critical. It directly equates to lives and serious injuries prevented on streets and roads, with significant financial and time saving returns.

“Today’s launch marks a significant milestone in further helping road agencies make informed decisions that prioritize safety in their road designs and planning processes,” he said.

Improving the safety of road designs will be critical to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to halve road deaths and injuries worldwide by 2030.

Specifically, SR4D is playing a vital role in helping countries achieve United Nations Global Road Safety Performance Target 3, for all new roads to meet a minimum 3-star safety rating.

Research shows that every incremental improvement in a road’s Star Rating equals a halving of road deaths and serious injuries.

Furthermore, recent Johns Hopkins University research published in PLOS One estimated that almost 700,000 deaths and injuries have been prevented in road projects that used the iRAP methodology and tools between 2016 and 2024.

Road designers will test the new tool today in an iRAP Practical Skills Training at the IRF World Congress being held in Istanbul from 15-18 October.

Designers and road safety stakeholders that want to learn more about the app are invited to register to join the upcoming SR4D #RAPKnowledgeLIVE session on 24 October here.

Star Rating for Designs has been made possible through the financial support of the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility and FIA Foundation.

For more information about the updated SR4D web app and training, please visit https://irap.org/star-rating-for-designs/.