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South East Neighbourhood Safe Routes (SENSOR) project underway

South East Neighbourhood Safe Routes (SENSOR) project underway

The two-year SENSOR project brings together 14 countries and builds on outstanding cooperation between automobile clubs, universities and road authorities.

Most countries in South East Europe are constructing new roads or rehabilitating existing roads to achieve mobility benefits. SENSOR enables these countries to use iRAP techniques to target investment so that they can raise the overall level of safety performance of routes in a measurable way. 

SENSOR is co-financed by the South East Europe (SEE) Transnational Cooperation Programme and the European Union.

 

Road safety across six continents

Road safety across six continents

For any road authority that has completed an iRAP assessment, the IRF’s “Road Safety Across Six Continents Seminar” can help put life-saving plans into practice.

The IRF’s Safer Roads by Design training program is among the most comprehensive in the world, and helps road authorities understand what can be done to meet their commitment to reduce deaths during the Decade of Action for Road Safety. 

The training program focuses on four main topics: Roadside Safety, Work Zone Safety, Vulnerable User Safety, and Road Safety Audits.

For more information on the next program, to be held on April 21-26, 2013 in Orlando, USA, visit:  http://www.irfnews.org/home/ or email: Mike Dreznes (mdreznes@irfnews.org).  

 
Model School Zones in Mexico

Model School Zones in Mexico

Each day, more than six children die on their way to school in Mexico. iRAP is partnering with Safe Kids Mexico to help create safe environments for children to walk to and from school.

A pilot project is now being undertaken at a school in Mexico City, where a series of serious crashes in neighbouring streets have prompted calls for action.

Working with the University of North Carolina, iRAP is developing a tool that will eventually enable communities around the world to Star Rate roads around their schools and generate safety countermeasure plans.

The project is being supported by the Road Safety Fund.

 

FIA promoting road safety

FIA promoting road safety

FIA President Jean Todt and FIAA President Nitin Dossa recently saw first-hand efforts being made to improve safety in one of the world’s most populous countries.

Through the Action for Road Safety Campaign and its member clubs, FIA is working to help to reduce the road deaths in India, estimated to exceed 200,000 each year.

Government officials in Mumbai had the opportunity to view the survey vehicle used in iRAP assessments across seven States, review detailed road death investigation results and consider safety assessments for high-priority roads such as the Mumbai-Goa Highway which was the scene of a horrific crash that recently claimed 37 lives.

 
Road crashes estimated to cost at least 1.5% of GDP in Mexico

Road crashes estimated to cost at least 1.5% of GDP in Mexico

Leading news agencies in Mexico, including Reforma and terratv, have put a spotlight on the enormous cost of road crash deaths and serious injuries in the country, estimated to exceed US$50 billion each year.

The reports coincide with National Secretariat of Transport (SCT)-led iRAP assessments of more than 45,000km of roads. The assessments cover the federal highway network, including both toll-free and toll roads. 

In addition to producing road safety Star Ratings for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists, it is anticipated that the assessments will identify countermeasures that could cut numbers of deaths and serious injuries by more than 25%.

 

 

 

New assessments underway in China

New assessments underway in China

New road safety inspections are being undertaken by ChinaRAP, a partnership between the Research Institute of Highway (RIOH), Ministry of Transport, and iRAP. 

The assessments involve inspections of urban roads in Mengzi and Jianshui (Yunnan) and highways in Shaanxi, and build on similar work already undertaken in Anhui.

The ChinaRAP road safety assessments will help guide multi-million dollar upgrades to the roads, which are financed by local governments and the World Bank and Asian Development Bank respectively.

In parallel to the assessments, ChinaRAP has also begun collaborating with other partners in the Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded Road Safety in 10 Countries Project (RS10). The collaboration is exploring ways that infrastructure improvements can complement efforts to reduce drink-driving rates and speeding in the cities of Dalian and Suzhuo. 

 

Making roads safer for pedestrians

Making roads safer for pedestrians

A report released by the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD proposes 12 sets of measures to create safer walking environments. 

The report laments that the number of pedestrians killed on roads is estimated at above 400 000 each year – about a third of annual road fatalities around the globe.

Earlier this, iRAP reported that 84% of the approximately 50,000km of roads assessed in low- and middle-income countries where pedestrians are present carry traffic at 40km/h or more and have no footpaths.

The ITF report is timely as pedestrian safety will be the focus of the United Nations Road Safety Week from 6-13 May 2013.

In addition to the new report, ITF is calling for nominations for the Young Researcher of the Year Award. This year’s winner, Ms Wing Yee (Winnie) Lam, a Chinese national, was honoured for a developing a walkability audit as an assessment tool to evaluate the walking environment in urban areas.

 

New risk-ratings show safety improvements on State Highways

New risk-ratings show safety improvements on State Highways

The new KiwiRAP highway risk-ratings show safety has improved significantly on several Auckland and Northland State Highways over the past five years.

The length of road rated as high or medium-high risk reduced by 18% (from 475km to 388km) as a result of road improvements, including signage upgrades, an extension of roadside barriers, improved lighting and sealed shoulder widening, and targeted Police campaigns against speeding and drinking drivers.

NZTA’s Auckland and Northland Regional Director, Stephen Town said KiwiRAP is a powerful tool for increasing public awareness that not all highways are the same. “Drivers and riders who are aware of the higher risk highways can then adjust their driving to take extra care. Similarly, we can identify safety shortcomings that can then be addressed with practical road safety measures.

The new KiwiRAP report is available at: http://kiwirap.org.nz/downloads.html

 

 

EuroRAP publishes new website

EuroRAP publishes new website

EuroRAP began as an idea in 1999 to address the unnecessary and preventable toll of death and serious injury on Europe’s roads. 

The commitment of its Members has won the programme overwhelming support. In the past decade EuroRAP has grown from a 4-country pilot to a programme now active in over 30 countries.

EuroRAP believes that in the next decade Europe can save at least 0.5% of GDP with an affordable, high return programme – saving at least 300 deaths and serious injuries every day.

To visit the new website, go to http://eurorap.org.

 

 

 

 

10 years of EuroRAP in Spain celebrated

10 years of EuroRAP in Spain celebrated

To celebrate 10 years of EuroRAP in Spain, RACC have released EuroRAP 10 anos en Espana: Analisis de los resultados de los 10 anos de EuroRAP en Espana, looking back over the programme’s development and results.

The study details the evolution of different variables (such as length of the network, AADT and the number of fatal and serious crashes) used to generate EuroRAP risk ratings over the last 10 years, starting with the first EuroRAP study in 2002 through to the most recent in 2011.

The network analysed in the report covers the Spanish Road Network (RCE) spanning 23,528km. Although the total distance travelled on the RCE increased by 6% in the last 10 years, the number of deaths and serious injuries decreased by 58%.

 

 

 

 

 

Engineering a Safer Future: UK EuroRAP Results 2012

Engineering a Safer Future: UK EuroRAP Results 2012

Simple attention to safety engineering detail has resulted in extraordinary cuts in road deaths and serious injuries, according to the latest tracking survey by the Road Safety Foundation.

Engineering a Safer Future found that fatal and serious injury crashes on 10 stretches of treated road fell by nearly two thirds from 541 to 209 (2001-2005 and 2006-2010) – boosting the economy by £35m every year.

This year’s most improved road is a rural 20km (13 mile) single carriageway section of the A605. Over the two survey periods, fatal and serious crashes fell by 74% from 34 to 9, and its risk rating improved from medium in 2001-2005 to low-medium in 2006-2010. 

Engineering a Safer Future was produced with support from Ageas UK. The report measures safety levels across 27,000 miles of motorway and A roads where the majority of UK road deaths occur.

 

 

Rapid progress in Mexico

Some 45,000km of roads have now been surveyed as part the Government of Mexico’s strategy to provide safe roads for economic and social development.

The iRAP project is being led by the National Secretariat of Transport (SCT) and will make use of Star Ratings to benchmark infrastructure risk across 10% of the nation’s roads (a third of all paved roads).

Along with iRAP data, the surveys are collecting pavement data that will be used for asset management, making the undertaking very cost effective. The project will also be the first to make use of iRAP’s new online software, ViDA, which offers greatly increased processing speeds and more expansive reporting.

 

iRAP assessments in Brazil and Egypt to begin

iRAP assessments in Brazil and Egypt to begin

With the support of the Global Road Safety Facility and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Brazil and Egypt will soon Star Rate strategic road networks and prepare Safer Roads Investment Plans.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that a combined 66,000 people are killed in road crashes in Brazil and Egypt each year.

The assessments, which are now in the preliminary planning stages, will help to identify the locations of high-risk sections of road and propose affordable engineering treatments, particularly for pedestrians, who feature prominently in road deaths statistics.

The efforts in Brazil and Egypt complement road assessments already underway in Russia, India and China that are also supported by GRSF and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

 

Safety report identifies need for upgrades in Germany

Safety report identifies need for upgrades in Germany

German auto-club, ADAC, has found that on extra-urban networks, almost 50% of traffic victims lose their lives on motorways and federal roads, which account for only 10% of the network length.

The findings are contained in the report, Road Test 2008-2010, which reviews crash statistics, presents EuroRAP Star Ratings and sets out actions required to save lives. 

The report also finds that the presence of roadside hazards (trees), high overtaking rates and high speeds on German federal highways mean they get poorer Star Ratings than both German motorways and extra-urban roads carrying similar volumes of traffic elsewhere in Europe.

The Road Test report complements other road infrastructure safety assessments conducted by ADAC, such as Pedestrian Crossings in Europe, which assessed safety at 285 crossings in 19 cities.

 
Preventing trauma and supporting economic growth in Belize

Preventing trauma and supporting economic growth in Belize

Safety on an 80km section of the Western Highway in Belize is set to become much safer, thanks to efforts of the Government and Caribbean Development Bank.

A recent iRAP assessment found that nearly the entire highway is rated 1- or 2-stars for vehicle occupants, who account for the majority of road deaths in Belize.

As part of the project, road infrastructure improvements will be complemented by efforts to raise awareness among road users; increased enforcement of road rules; better post-crash response; and training.

After infrastructure improvements are completed, further iRAP assessments will be used to measure reductions in risk. 

 
Innovation workshop harnesses knowledge

Innovation workshop harnesses knowledge

The first iRAP Innovation Workshop was held at TRL headquarters in the United Kingdom and brought together experts in road safety engineering from around the world.

Participants at the workshop discussed the fact that during the next 12 months iRAP assessments will be conducted on some 150,000km of roads in low- and middle-income countries – three times as many as in the past five years. 

Participants also considered ways in which innovation in methodology, technology, policy and processes will help support the massive growth in assessments and ensure the results translate into life-saving road improvements.

Notes from the workshop that summarise presentations made by participants are available for download.

 

Bangladesh on the road to safety

Bangladesh on the road to safety

Major safety improvements are in the pipeline for high-risk roads in Bangladesh.

A second round of iRAP assessments are focusing on some 1,300km of national and regional roads, many of which will be upgraded in coming years. 

The assessments are being led by the RHD and are part of the ADB’s Road Safety Improvement Program. The Program is one of the most significant road safety initiatives of the Bank in recent years and includes both capacity-building and downstream investments. 

iRAP is working with local consultants and stakeholders, including BUET, BRAC and CIPRB. The project has also benefited from the voluntary contribution of Gina Waibl, a leading contributor to  KiwiRAP

 

Hundreds participate in knowledge sharing event

Hundreds participate in knowledge sharing event

Hundreds of road-safety experts, practitioners, advocates and senior government officials gathered in Thailand for the GRSP Asia Seminar and iRAP Workshop.

The seminar and workshop provided an opportunity for local experts to share their experience in initiatives such as the Building ChinaRAP project, star rating designs in the Indian State of Karnataka and KiwiRAP assessments in New Zealand strategy.

At the event, the iRAP Asia Pacific Star Performer award was jointly received by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Automobile Association of the Philippines for their outstanding commitment to safety.  

Engineers from the Philippines department of highways are now conducting site visits on three demonstration corridors, taking them a step closer to implementing iRAP safety recommendations – and saving lives.

Presentations from the event are available on the iRAP website and the GRSP website.

 
‘Unfit for 80’ calls for safer motorways

‘Unfit for 80’ calls for safer motorways

A new report by the Road Safety Foundation says England’s motorways do not currently provide enough protection to car drivers and occupants to consider raising the speed limit to 80 mph.

Unfit for 80’ argues that although cars provide 4-star or 5-star crash protection, too many motorways rate only 3-star and there is a major weakness in run-off protection. 

The costs associated with the 800 serious motorway road crashes annually is £0.4 bn – double that if traffic delays at crash sites are counted.

The report calls for motorways to be brought up to a minimum 4-star standard by 2020.

Road safety must be a priority at Rio+20

Road safety must be a priority at Rio+20

iRAP has joined other leading organizations calling for road safety to be made a priority at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012. 

The publication of a statement by the organizations coincided with a Donor and Policy Forum in New York. At the event, a new report by Kevin Watkins of the Brookings Institute was published, making the case for inclusion of road safety and a ‘people first’ approach to transport policy in the Rio framework.

There was a significant breakthrough recently when a proposal by the Russian Federation to include road safety ‘as an integral part of sustainable development’ was agreed by the US, European Union, G77 and China during negotiations on draft documentation. 

To support calls for road safety to be made a development priority, visit: http://www.makeroadssafe.org/takeaction/Pages/homepage.aspx.

Agustin and Morgan join efforts in Latin America

Agustin and Morgan join efforts in Latin America

Agustin Centeno and Morgan Fletcher have joined iRAP’s efforts to make roads safe in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Agustin (left) brings 10 years experience at the Mexican Institute of Transport to his role of Senior Road Safety Engineer. At IMT, Agustin was heavily involved in road safety audits and training. He also led much of the analysis work in the recent Pacific Corridor risk assessments.

Morgan (right) joins iRAP as Road Safety Engineer on a voluntary basis, and is one of a number of young engineers who have expressed interest in developing their experience in a foreign country and making a contribution to international road safety. Prior to joining the team, Morgan worked for almost five years with AECOM as a transport and traffic engineer in Australia.

Agustin and Morgan will each play a critical role assessing more than 45,000km of roads in Mexico, representing around 10% of the nation’s roads, and in projects through Latin America and the Caribbean.

IMT, MIROS and TRL become iRAP Centres of Excellence

IMT, MIROS and TRL become iRAP Centres of Excellence

The Mexican Institute of Transport (IMT), the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and TRL in the United Kingdom have recently become iRAP Centres of Excellence. 

The establishment of iRAP Centres of Excellence around the world is designed to help build technical knowledge for road assessment programmes and extend the reach of the programmes.  

The Centres are peak organisations that have a demonstrated excellence in road safety engineering and are focused on activities for the public good.  

ARRB Group in Australia was the first iRAP Centre of Excellence. 

EuroRAP: a decade of safety assessments

EuroRAP: a decade of safety assessments

Over the past decade, EuroRAP has grown from a four-country pilot to a major force for change in more than 20 countries.

EuroRAP will formally celebrate its 10th anniversary on May 22-24, 2012 at the annual General Assembly and Plenary sessions. The meetings are being hosted by Founder Members ADAC at their headquarters in Munich, Germany, where the first EuroRAP meetings took place.  

The event will begin with a one day conference (speaking programme currently being finalised). For more information, contact Jo Marden at jo.marden@eurorap.org.  

The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) is a Registered Charity with UN ECOSOC Consultative Status.
iRAP is registered in England and Wales under company number 05476000
Charity number 1140357

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