TOPIC 3

Planning and control

In general the road user looks to road operator to provide the facilities to make their journeys
safe, efficient and reliable. As the road user would see it, network operations exist to ensure the
roadway is available to a level of service that will allow the user to meet his or her objectives.

As the number of vehicles on roads worldwide increase, the number of people injured and killed
in traffic will continue to rise – unless governments and organizations work together toward
well-considered action. Road deaths and injuries may never be eliminated, but by incorporating
the 4 Es of safety in road safety plans, they can be minimized.

Road safety starts with the “4 Es”

Any effort to reduce road injury rates relies on the ability to gauge and mitigate situations that
contribute to traffic accidents.

A successful transportation plan should include the 4 Es of safety:

 Education. Inform drivers about the rules of the road and the importance of good
choices: wearing seatbelts, not texting while driving and avoiding alcohol or medications
that affect awareness.

 Enforcement. Enforce traffic laws and provide a visible police presence to deter unsafe
driving behavior.

 Engineering. Make roadway improvements to prevent crashes or reduce their severity.

 Emergency medical and trauma service. Respond rapidly to collisions to stabilize

Facility provisions for road users.

Road infrastructure includes physical assets like the roads themselves, as well as everything
associated with them, for example bus stops, trucking terminals, signage, drainage, and
structures such as bridges or tunnels.
Roadway Facility means existing and proposed streets and all related facilities including, but
not limited to pavement, drainage facilities, sidewalks, signals, markings, signage, streetlights,
median openings, turn lanes, and acceleration or deceleration lanes.

The Road Network Operations concept puts the needs of road users and their travel expectation
ahead of any institutional requirements. In this respect road users i.e private individuals and
businesses - can be likened to customers who are concerned with factors that affect their
economic well-being and the convenience of every-day living.As regards roads and traffic, most
likely they will be preoccupied with issues that concern ease of mobility and accessibility and the
reliability of their journeys.

Their expectations may include:

 Improved traffic flow and reduced delays generally

 Improved journey reliability and better interconnections between modes

 Reduction in accident rates and fatalities

 Improved travel and less inconvenience from construction and work zones

 Timely and accurate information in order to be able to make informed decisions about
travel

Serving road users is fundamental to network operations. The network operator’s aim is to
ensure acceptance and compliance with any measures taken to balance the supply of road space
with the traffic demand. As more sophisticated ITS (intelligent transport systems) -based
services are deployed, gaining end user acceptance and building trust is even more important.
The more that users understand the reasons for traffic regulation and trust the information
provided the better the services will operate for all stakeholders.

The principle of “customer orientation” is a major challenge. The attitude and behaviour of road
users is critical to the success of network operations. Users can be the general public,
commercial enterprises, businesses, road haulage firms and professional drivers, with a wide
diversity of needs and requirements. The network operating strategies that are adopted may need
promotion and do not always receive popular support. Procedures and protocols have to be
reviewed and adapted with the objective of service to the user firmly in mind. Systems should be
designed to allow road users to make informed travel choices and achieve easy compliance with
traffic regulations.

Two views

The road user’s perspective

In general the road user looks to road operator to provide the facilities to make their journeys
safe, efficient and reliable. As the road user would see it, network operations exist to ensure the
roadway is available to a level of service that will allow the user to meet his or her objectives.
From this perspective road network operations consist of the processes and provisions that are
needed to deliver that service.

The road operator’s perspective

The road operator has a somewhat different perspective. The primary concern of is to keep the
road open and safe for the level of traffic that the roadway is designed to carry, which at times
may be a lot less than the traffic demand.

In practice public expectations and political pressure means doing much more than this. From the
road operator’s perspective the mission of network operations is to develop and implement the
measures and processes that are necessary to achieve the wider goals set by the community.

Pedestrian facilities

 Design and install pedestrian facilities that meet pedestrians’ safety, comfort, and
accessibility;

 Design and install pedestrian footpaths of adequate width, in good condition, and free
from obstructions that restrict pedestrian use (e.g., parked vehicles, signs, traders, utility
poles);

 Design and install crossing points for pedestrians, both at and between intersections, that
are raised and that give pedestrians legal right of way;
  Design and install signalized crossing points that provide sufficient time for pedestrians
to fully cross the road;

 Install rumble strips, raised platforms, or speed humps to warn drivers to slow down and
stop in time at pedestrian crossing points.

Road safety audit

It is the procedure of assessment of the safety measures employed for the road. It has the
advantages like proper planning and decision from beforehand ensures minimization of future
accidents, the long term cost associated with planning is also reduced and enables all kinds of
users to perceive clearly how to use it safely. Safety audit takes place in five stages as suggested
by Wrisberg and Nilsson, 1996.

The Five Stages of Safety Audit are:

1. Feasibility Stage - The starting point for the design is determined such as number and
type of intersection, relationship of the new scheme to the existing road, the relevant
design standards.

2. Draft Stage - In this stage horizontal and vertical alignment, junction layout are
determined. After the completion of this stage decision about land acquisition is taken.

3. Detailed design stage - Signing, marking, lighting, other roadside equipment and
landscaping are determined.

4. Pre-opening stage - Before opening a new or modified road should be driven, walked or
cycled. It should be done at different condition like bad weather, darkness.

5. Monitoring of the road in use - Assessment is done at the final stage after the road has
been in operation for few months to determine whether the utilization is obtained as
intended and whether any adjustment to the design are required in the light of the actual
behavior of road users.

Education, training and publicity.

As a result, road safety education plays an important role in shaping the current and future road
behaviour of children and young people to keep them safe on the road. Road safety education
should focus on minimising road-related risk through regular and consistent education at each
stage of a child's development.

Effective road safety programs are designed to teach children the importance of safe behaviours
near traffic from a young age, preparing them with the skills, attitude, and insight to become
responsible road users throughout their life

Publicity campaigns are an important way to help improve road safety outcomes. They can be
used to: increase awareness of road safety issues (including existing issues as well as new laws)
increase awareness about the penalties for breaking road rules. Help change peoples' attitudes to
road safety issues.

Safety campaigns for work and home are initiatives aimed at promoting safety and preventing
accidents and injuries in both the workplace and the home environment. These campaigns may
involve various strategies such as communication, education, and behavior change techniques.

Enforcement

Good traffic law enforcement is essential for road safety. The main objective of traffic policing is
safe and efficient flow of traffic, achieved through means of persuasion, prevention, and
punishment. Safe behaviour in traffic does not come naturally for most people, but with the right
laws and enforcement mechanisms in place, behaviour can be postiviely changed.

In 2014 the WHO published a toolkit for strengthening road safety legislation to assist road
safety practitioners and lawyers with organizing road safety legislation workshops in their
country. Typical offences relate to speeding, drinking and driving, non-use of seatbelt or child
restraints, and not wearing a helmet. All of these relate to well-known risk factors, for which
research has shown that limiting non-compliance will reduce the frequency and severity of road
crashes.
  Legislation should be part of an overall enforcement strategy.

 An appropriate penalty system also needs to be in place. The good practice manual on
speed management gives examples of the different methods such as warning notices and
fixed penalties. Fixed penalties can be issued with a written note of infringement or
violation handed out on-the-spot, requiring the offending driver or rider to pay a fine by a
specified date. Confiscation of licences or of vehicles can be applied for serious offences.
Demerit or black-point systems seek to deter drivers from continuing to offend for a
range of traffic law related offences. To operate a penalty system effectively, a
computerized database is generally needed to record all offences and driver records.

 Enforcement of Speed Limits

Setting speed limits is closely integrated with road function and road design. Consult the speed
management manual section on enforcement for details. Non-compliance can be measured and
dealt with in different ways. Measuring speed can be done by radar, camera or other instruments
which measure speed between two points. A single, stationary police vehicle that is visible to
drivers will also reduce the average speed. Cameras are highly effective, provided that an
accurate and readily accessible vehicle and driver data base is available, though camera systems
are relatively expensive to purchase and data equipment is needed to process the data. Speed
limits for heavy goods and public transport vehicles can be introduced as well.

 Enforcement of restrictions on Drinking and Driving

Drinking and driving is an issue in many countries and often one of the main causes in road
crashes. Effective measures are necessary to reduce alcohol-related crashes and injuries. Random
breath testing is carried out in several countries and has subsequently lead to reductions in the
number of alcohol related road crashes by up to 20%. The visibility and randomness of the
enforcement very much affects and changes people's behaviour

 Enforcement of seatbelt use

Seatbelts have saved many lives, however evidence shows that mandatory legislation and
enforcement are necessary to make people use seatbelts. The cost-benefit ratio of mandatory
seat-belt use has been estimated at between 1:3 and 1:8. Seatbelts must also be of a certain
standard and be fitted into the vehicle for effective use. Vehicle laws requiring this are the first
step. It is relatively easy to detect if drivers and passengers are using seatbelts properly,
especially if the vehicle is stopped as no measuring equipment is necessary. This enforcement
method effectively increases seatbelt use if the seatbelt checks are repeated randomly and over
time.

 Enforcement of helmet wearing

Most motorcyclists killed in traffic die from head injuries, but crash helmets of the right standard
can substantially reduce the risk of death from head injuries. Introducing and enforcing helmet
laws has been shown to be highly effective in reducing the overall number of road crash fatalities
and injuries where motorcycles sometimes are the most used mean of transport. The helmet
good practice manual provides guidance on all aspects of how to create an effective helmet
campaign.

Road safety policies.

A policy focuses on issues that govern road safety and includes: management and coordination,
speed management on roads, vehicle management, driver management, Journey planning
procedure, incidents and accidents reporting and management and ethics and etiquette. The
objective of a road safety policy is to reduce the number of road traffic injury accidents, in order
to reduce the number of people killed and injured each year. It mobilizes multiple stakeholders,
institutional or private.

(Use a case example of TUM safety policy)