A rational approach to road safety | Sunday Observer

A rational approach to road safety

25 August, 2019
Roads should be designed to reduce the risk of crashes
Roads should be designed to reduce the risk of crashes

Sri Lanka is experiencing an increasing number of road accidents, which is posing a serious danger to citizens throughout the country. Accidents that occur unexpectedly cause injury and death, as well as trauma and heartache to victims. A staggering 2,800 people have been killed and 5,800 seriously injured in road accidents around the country, in 2018. These are very high figures.

The question of who is responsible for increasing road mishaps remain open. Is it the motorist, or the pedestrian? Could it be due to bad road design and infrastructure, or a combination of both? It is necessary that everyone concerned must take serious note of the problem.

What we need today is a multi-dimensional approach to road safety as practised in other advanced countries. One such system is known as ‘safe systems.’ This system is considered to be an international best practice on road safety by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Both organisations recommend that all countries, regardless of their level of road safety performance, follow a ‘safe systems’ approach.

What is ‘safe systems’?

Safe systems means safer roads, safer vehicles and safer road use. It is designed with the human being at its centre, taking human fallibility into account, and accepting that even the most conscientious person could make a mistake at some point. The goal of ‘safe systems’ is to ensure that such mistakes do not lead to a crash; or, if a crash does occur, it is sufficiently controlled to not cause death or life-changing injury.

Responsibility for the system is shared by everyone. Policy makers, planners, engineers, vehicle manufacturers, fleet managers, enforcement officers, road safety educators, health agencies and the media are accountable for the system’s safety; while every road user, whether they drive, cycle or walk, is responsible for complying with the system’s rules.

Implementation

A successful safe systems approach is developed through: (a) taking a wholesome vision of road safety, (b) altering people’s views about the inevitability of crashes, and changing the attitudes towards road safety responsibility, (d) carrying out continuously comprehensive data collection and analysis, so that existing road safety performance could be better understood, and (e) greater financial investment in road safety.

Safer roads

According to a ‘safe systems’ approach, roads should be designed to reduce the risk of crashes occurring, and the severity of injuries if a crash does occur. Safety features need to be incorporated into the road design from the outset, for example:

Segregating road users: One of the key dangers on our roads is that different types of road users share the same space.

As far as possible, a ‘safe systems’ approach seeks to segregate different road users, developing and enhancing safer routes for vulnerable users. For example, a local council or transport authority may focus on creating or expanding foot-ways; or work with schools to develop safer walking routes for children.

Segregating traffic: It is also desirable to segregate traffic moving in different directions or at different speeds – e.g. by crash barriers separating opposite lanes of traffic. Crash barriers and other physical measures should be ‘soft’ and made safer.

Speed: If segregation of people and traffic is not possible, then appropriate speed limits should be put in place to protect the vulnerable road users, e.g. as part of their ‘safe systems’ approach, introduce a 35 kmph city-centre speed limit and keep tabs on violators.

Self-explaining roads: ‘Safe systems’ roads are self-explaining, i.e. they are designed so that the driver is aware of what is expected of them and behaves appropriately.

Each class of road is immediately distinctive, with its own carriageway width, road markings, signing and use of street lighting that are consistent throughout the route. The simplicity and consistency of the road design reduces driver stress and driver error.

Crash hot spots are identified, and targeted engineering measures taken to remedy them, e.g. by improving road surfaces, removing roadside obstacles to vision, or installing traffic lights.

‘Safe systems’ seeks to:

Establish appropriate speed limits: These are set according to road features and functions and the known physical tolerances of road users, e.g. by rolling out a 35 kmph speed limit across a city centre or residential streets.

Enforce existing limits: It is essential that transport authorities work with the police to develop and evaluate speed enforcement.

Educate road users: The authorities can mount speed enforcement and education campaigns. They could ensure speed limit compliance by working directly with fleet drivers, licensed taxi companies or contractor vehicles.

Safer vehicles

There are two main strands to safer vehicles – technology and road-worthiness:

Technology: Active safety measures that help to prevent crashes include collision-avoidance systems, (semi-)autonomous vehicles, stability control, improved road-vehicle interaction, automatic braking systems, air cushion technology, alcolocks, and speed limiters on fleet vehicles.

Road worthiness: Consumers and businesses are encouraged to purchase safer vehicles. Vehicles are then maintained to the highest safety standards.

Safer road use

Everyone is encouraged to use roads safely and comply with road rules. Emphasis is placed on a philosophy of shared and proportionate responsibility.

‘Safe systems’ encourages safer road use in various ways, including:

Education: ‘Safe systems’ creates risk-aware drivers through education and publicity, e.g. making new drivers aware of the risks, and encouraging all road users to travel unimpaired, alert, at safe speeds and without distraction, complying with road rules at all times.

In-vehicle technologies may be used to give safety feedback and reduce risky behaviour by monitoring how a vehicle is driven, and feeding back information on speed, seat belt use, hard acceleration and braking.

Examine new ways of measuring safety: In Sri Lanka, casualty statistics have been the primary method of measuring road safety. ‘Safe systems’ looks to additional ways of measuring safety, e.g. the public’s perception of road danger.

It’s time the authorities take a hard look at the internationally acclaimed ‘safe systems’ approach and see how the principles could be adapted to fit Sri Lankan road policy.

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