Data analysts from across the UK have braved wintery conditions to attend a one-day conference in London today.
‘Joining the Dots: Making Data the Common Language of Road Safety’ is an annual event organised by Road Safety GB in partnership with Agilysis.
The agenda features leading figures in road safety data and research and covers topics including STATS19, compliance and risk and evaluating schemes.
The keynote address was delivered by Sir Nic Cary, director of Waysphere Transport Intelligence (pictured).
Dr Suzy Charman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation, outlined the Foundation’s systematic approach to dealing with high-risk roads.
Dr Charman will explain how the Foundation combines reactive risk mapping – measuring the number and nature of crashes per vehicle kilometre travelled – and proactive star rating, which measures infrastructure risk.
She told delegates that the iRAP (International Road Assessment Programme) star rating process is ‘proven and accepted’ worldwide, with approximately 900,000km of roads rated globally.
Roads are video-surveyed, with more than 50 features that are known to influence crash likelihood and severity coded every 100 metres along the route. The data is combined with supporting records such as speed surveys, road user flows and crash distribution.
In the UK, Highways England has committed to 90% of travel on its roads being on three star or above by 2020, and is increasingly focusing on its one and two star roads.
Dr Charman said: “We have identified the authorities with high costs from road crashes, and shown how risks can be reduced and lives saved with economic returns that are higher, quicker and more certain than from most projects competing for funds.
“Counter-measures are typically simple: often this is down to installing centre-lane hatching; rumble strips and safe recovery zones at the side of the road; protective right-turn pockets; and high-friction treatments on bends.”
I understand the International Road Assessment Programme taking into account the design and various safety features of a road. And that the UK are committed to 90% of travel on its roads being on three star or above by 2020.
However, as a motorcyclist does the safety rating take in to account the growing issues of potholes that are a scourge of UK roads? Travelling on some of our motorways and A roads we are beginning to develop our own version of the African Rift Valley on some roads.
Keith
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