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Ian Bishop
- 1. Ian Bishop Traffic Engineer Assessing Our National Highway Network: Highway Reviews & AusRAP – A Combined Approach
- 2. Introduction • Advocating for better roads – On behalf of 600,000 members, 27% of whom live in regional SA – Backwater to Benchmark (2005) – Towards 2020 (2009) • Roads need to be forgiving – Compliant road users accounted for • 34% of fatalities in 2008 • 74% of non-fatal crashes (1998-2000) • The cost (5-year average, SA) – Road Toll : 107 – Serious Injury: 1014 – 60% of fatalities occurred rurally 2
- 3. AusRAP Overview • Subsidiary of iRAP • Utilises 4 globally consistent protocols – Risk Maps – Star Ratings – Safer Roads Investment Plans (SRIPs) – Performance Tracking
- 4. AusRAP Survey & Coding • Route Review – Video captured from specially equipped survey vehicle – Data recorded at 10m intervals – GPS referencing 4
- 5. AusRAP Survey & Coding • Coding – Specialised software is used to measure the corridor – Video data aggregated into 100m intervals – Video coder records parameters • Pavement condition • Width measurements • Roadside hazards • Infrastructure provision 5
- 6. Star Ratings • Road Protection Score (RPS) calculated – Measure of the probability and severity of a crash occurring – Calculated from risk factors • RPS plotted by distance along the road and allocated Star Band • 5-star represents safest roads and 1-star the least safe • Risk of death or serious injury increases with the fewer stars awarded 6
- 7. Star Ratings - Examples 7 1-Star: Eyre Highway, near Kyancutta Unprotected Vegetation Narrow Lanes High Run-off Road Risk Minimal Shoulder Seal
- 8. Star Ratings - Examples 8 3-Star: Sturt Highway, near Blanchetown Minimal Vegetation Wider Lanes Audio Tactile Line Marking Low Run-off Road Risk Adequate Shoulder Seal Head-on Crash Risk
- 9. Star Ratings - Examples 9 5-Star: Princes Freeway, near Geelong, Victoria Wide Shoulder Seal Protected Roadside Hazards Low Run-off Road Risk Duplicated Road Audio Tactile Line Marking Wide Lanes
- 10. Safer Roads Investment Plans • Builds on Star Ratings, providing cost-effective, network-wide countermeasures • Allows financial analysis of the options • Provides an estimate of return on investment – AusRAP estimates the FSIs over a 20 year period – Treatments selected and risks recalculated – Determines FSIs saved – BCRs calculated • Treatments can then be prioritised 10
- 11. Hazards & Countermeasures • Run-off road and head on crashes account for 30 – 45% of fatalities • Countermeasures that reduce the frequency and severity of these crashes are usually low cost Examples 11 Run-off Road Crashes • Hazard removal ≈ -80% • Barrier Installation ≈ -30% • Shoulder sealing ≈ -40% Head-on Crashes • Physical Median ≈ -90% • Shoulder seal ≈ -40% • Provision of overtaking lanes ≈ -30%
- 12. Case Study: Dukes Highway • Significant safety improvements: – Wide centreline – Vegetation removal – Lane Widening – Pavement rehabilitation – Shoulder sealing – Shoulder widening – Wire rope barriers – Audio tactile line marking 12 • Dukes Highway has received $100M funding
- 13. Case Study: Dukes Highway 13
- 14. RAA’s Highway Reviews • About the reviews: – Compliments AusRAP data – Provides a commentary on hazards, infrastructure and ride experience – Highway measurements taken every 50 – 100km • Features assessed: – Signs – Line marking – Pavement condition – Vegetation – Lane geometry – General hazards – Hazard protection 14
- 15. RAA’s Highway Reviews • Benefits: – Exposure to typical highway conditions and common issues – Observe driver behaviour – Allows discussion with motorists that frequently use the route – Allows identification of issues that may not be apparent in video surveys 15
- 16. What’s the better approach? • AusRAP is an invaluable tool based on scientific research and development • AusRAP can forecast and financially quantify the benefits BUT… • It can take up to 12 months from survey to finalising data • Highway conditions can change in this time 16
- 17. What’s the better approach? • Highway reviews take less time to report • Can capture changes in the highway • Highway reviews useful for validation • Can identify issues not apparent in the video BUT…. • Reviews are largely subjective • Comparison between years can be difficult 17
- 18. Summary • AusRAP – The primary tool for advocating purposes – The SRIPs offer a powerful tool for establishing funding priorities – Processing times can however be lengthy – Video limitations • Highway reviews – Provide insight into “the motorist’s experience” – The Reviews can identify issues that may not be apparent AusRAP analysis – The reviews can be quite subjective • Solution – A combined approach provides a rounded assessment of the issues – RAA has found that combining the approaches has been effective for reporting 18
- 19. Questions 19
Editor's Notes
- Introduction ADVOCATING FOR SAFER ROADS RAA is the State’s peak non-government body representing the interests of nearly 600,000 motorists, 27% of whom reside within regional SA. RAA released Backwater to Benchmark in 2005 which outlined our vision for SA roads and This was followed by Towards 2020 in 2009, which expanded on the technical nature of the assessment process and report. 8 years on, RAA continue to assess highway network. ROADS NEED TO BE FORGIVING RAA strongly believes in the Safe Systems approach which recognises that humans are capable of making an error therefore the road infrastructure should be forgiving to road users. A Compliant Road User is an everyday road user like you and I. They follow the road rules, do not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol and do not take part in extreme behaviour such as street racing, red right running, handbrake turns etc Research has shown that compliant road users were involved in: 34% of fatalities in 2008; and 74% of non-fatal crashes between 1998 and 2000. If we look at the severity of the situation, in the last 5 years: An average of 107 lives lost on SA roads. An average of 1014 Serious Injuries have occurred per annum. Approximately 60% of the fatalities in SA occurred on rural roads. This is why the safety assessment of our National Highway Network is so important.
- AusRAP Overview What is AusRAP? SUBSIDIARY OF IRAP AusRAP is an arm of iRAP – a not for profit organisation dedicated to saving lives through safer roads. iRAP is active in more than 50 countries throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, North, Central and South America, as well as Africa. UTILISES 4 GLOBALLY CONSISTENT PROTOCOLS Risk Maps – show detailed crash data used to illustrate number of deaths and injuries that have occurred on a road. Star Ratings – provide a simple and objective measure of the level of safety built into a road. Safer Roads Investment Plans – recommend affordable infrastructure options from a pool of 70 solutions. Performance tracking – Enables Star Ratings and Risk Maps to be used for tracking road safety performance. Presently RAA and AAA use the Star Rating and SRIP protocols for our campaigns.
- AUSRAP Survey & Coding ROUTE REVIEW The route review is the first stage of the star rating process. This is carried out by a third party provider using specialist survey equipment and is carried out in Australia by ARRB for the AAA. Data is recorded in 10m intervals throughout the journey. GPS tracking allows images to be referenced to precise locations along the route.
- AUSRAP Survey & Coding (Continued…) The next stage of the process is CODING the AusRAP model Specialist software known as Hawkeye is used to record dimensions from the video eg lane widths, shoulder widths, distance to hazards etc The information from the video is aggregated into 100m intervals. The model coder records numerous parameters for each section such as: pavement condition width measurements roadside hazards; and infrastructure provision. At completion of the coding process, a detailed report is generated, summarising the key attributes.
- STAR RATINGS These key attributes are used to calculate the ROAD PROTECTION SCORE The RPS is a measure of the probability and severity of a crash occurring. It is calculated from a number of risk factors including Crash Liklihood, Crash Severity, Crash Type and Speed Factors. The RPS is plotted as a function of distance along the route and is allocated a Star Band. 5-star represents the safest roads, typically with few hazards, a good quality pavement, wide traffic lanes. Any hazards that do exist are usually protected; by comparison 1-star roads are the least safe, typically lined with dense vegetation or other road side hazards, sweeping bends, narrow shoulders and generally have poor road conditions. The risk of death or serious injury increases with the fewer stars awarded to a road.
- STAR RATINGS – EXAMPLES Eyre Highway (Near Kyancutta) (1-Star) Narrow Lanes – leaving little room for error There is a High Run-off Road Risk – caused by the bend, the risk is increased since driver fatigue and inattention is likely to be higher on a rural highway. Unprotected Vegetation – quite significant and only within about 5 or 6 metres of the road Minimal Shoulder Seal – providing little assistance to recover a vehicle that drifts from the traffic lane. While edge of carriageway lines are present, they do not contain ATLM.
- STAR RATINGS – EXAMPLES Sturt Highway (Near Blanchetown) (3-Star) Wider Lanes – provide safer separation between traffic and allow for some lateral movement within the lane Low Run-Off Road Risk – a long straight section of road reduces the likelihood of a runoff crash Provision of Audio Tactile Line Marking (ATLM) – also known as rumble strips, provides a vibration and audible warning if the driver drifts from the traffic lane. Minimal Vegetation – reduces the consequence of a crash if a vehicle departs the highway. Adequate Shoulder Seal – The seal, while not ideal, is wider and allows a little time for a driver to correct their course if alerted that they are drifting by the ATLM. Head-on Crash Risk – There is no separation and the long stretch potentially means sight of oncoming vehicles could be lost in the horizon when overtaking. There are no central studs or ATLM that would alert the driver they are drifting into the oncoming traffic lane.
- STAR RATINGS – EXAMPLES Princess Freeway (Near Geelong, Victoria) (5-Star) You’ll note that we are no longer in SA, unfortunately that’s because SA do not have any 5-star sections of highway so we have had to jump to the Princess Freeway, near Geelong in Victoria. Wide Lanes – allows room for lateral movement and provides separation between traffic Wide Shoulder Seal – allows drivers to safely stop in the event of a breakdown and allows drivers time to recover if they drift from the traffic lane Low Run-off Road Risk – long straight road reduces the likelihood of a run-off road collision Provision of Audio Tactile Line Marking (ATLM) – alerts drivers if they depart the traffic lane and allows time to correct their course Roadside Hazards are Protected – Reducing the consequence of injury if a vehicle departs the highway. Road is Fully Duplicated – with a very wide central median, removing the potential for head-on collisions.
- SAFER ROADS INVESTMENT PLANS The Safer Roads Investment Plans build on the Star Ratings to provide cost-effective, network-wide countermeasure concept plans for implementation by the relevant road authority. They allow financial analysis of the options by: Providing an estimate of return on investment. For this, The FSIs likely to occur over a 20 year period are estimated. The treatments are then optimised and applied to the highway, and the risk factors are recalculated. This provides an indication of the FSIs saved. The BCR is then calculated based on statistical costs of FSIs and the cost of the treatments proposed. This allows prioritisation of the treatments that offer the greatest benefit.
- Hazards & Countermeasures Lets have a look at the common hazards and countermeasures on rural highways. The most common types of rural accidents are run-off road and head-on crashes which account for 30 to 45% of rural fatalities. Across Australia, there was an average of 860 serious injuries between 1999 and 2003 resulting from head-on crashes. The countermeasures that can reduce the frequency and severity of these crashes are usually low cost Here are a few examples: Run-off Road Crashes Hazard removal – Approximately 80% reduction Barrier Installation – 30% reduction Shoulder sealing – 40% reduction Head-on crashes Physical median – 90% reduction Shoulder seal – 40% reduction Provision of overtaking lanes – 30% reduction
- Case Study: Dukes Highway The Dukes Highway has benefitted from $100M funding over the past 2 years, resulting in significant infrastructure and safety improvements. These include: Wide median centreline Vegetation removal Lane Widening Pavement rehabilitation Shoulder sealing Shoulder widening Wire rope barrier treatment Audio tactile line marking
- Case Study: Dukes Highway This table shows the current and future Star Ratings for the Dukes Highway As of 2012, the ratings were reasonably average with over half the Highway rated at 3-star If all the recommendations in the SRIP were followed, potentially 1/3 of the Highway could be 4-star and almost 2/3 rated as 3-star with very few, sections rated 2-star or less. It is likely that with the safety upgrades that we just looked at, most of the highway will now be nearing these results.
- RAA’s Highway Reviews So lets have a look now at RAA’s Highway Reviews which are conducted regularly on the National Highway Network. The reviews aim to compliment the extensive data that’s recorded and processed by AusRAP and bridge the gap between the technical assessment and the road user’s experience of the route. Qualified engineers and analysts drive the entire length of the highway and record observations throughout the journey, identifying and discussing road hazards, infrastructure features and the general ride experience. Spot checks are made every 50 – 100km to record the road conditions and measurements. Stops are however made more frequently if unique issues are identified or there is a noticeable change in the conditions. The FEATURES that are ASSESSED are: Signs are checked to ensure appropriate use and are correctly located, ensuring that they are clearly visible. Any signs in poor condition are noted. The review notes the type of line markings present & their condition Pavement condition – Checks are made for texture loss, rutting , pavement failure and any significant deterioration in the ride quality is noted. The review notes the size, density and proximity of significant vegetation Lane geometry – Spot checks are made for the driving lane and shoulder widths (and medians if present) The review notes general hazards present such as service poles, embankments or other objects likely to inflict damage. Hazard protection – Notes the presence of safety features such as crash barriers, rest stops and audio tactile line marking. The review notes their location, any issues with their condition or any other deficiencies that may limit their effectiveness.
- RAA’s Highway Reviews (continued…) The highway review provides additional value by exposing the review team to typical conditions on the highway, which provides insight into common issues such as passing heavy vehicles on narrow sections or bends. It also allows observation of driver behaviour which can be useful in determining if there are issues at specific sections such as speeding or risky overtaking behaviour. During the course of the review, the team engage in discussion with motorists that frequently use a route, providing intelligence on issues that may not be apparent on the day of the review. The review also allows identification of issues that may not be apparent in the video surveys This photo shows ATLM that has worn down. This can’t be seen in the video survey due to the speed of the vehicle; and We detected this simply by testing the ATLM at various sections of the highway by driving along it. It’s encouraging as it shows that the ATLM is working but flags the need for ongoing maintenance. Here’s an interesting photo. I realised early on the Eyre Highway survey that I had the measuring wheel but didn’t have a tape for smaller measurements. So, in the spirit of “Bush Engineering” I made to with what we had at the time. This photo shows a significant drop in the asphalt The diameter of the bottle was about 65mm and the asphalt is still marginally higher than this. This could not be seen in the video yet is a potential risk if a vehicle departs the seal at speed. A few truck drivers that we spoke to suggested that b-doubles can have difficulty pulling their trailers back onto the seal if they fall onto the shoulder at these type of sections. As a result, we’ll make additional recommendations for grading shoulder material.
- THE BETTER APPROACH? AusRAP is an invaluable technical tool for the purposes of advocating for better funding for the National Highway Network. The Star Ratings & SRIPs have been developed through scientific research and development and International collaboration has lead to the development of the international 3-star target benchmark which road authorities should strive to meet. AusRAP has proven to be a sound and credible assessment system that can forecast and financially quantify the benefits of investing in various road safety countermeasures. This is not only used as a case to secure the required level of funding but also assists in the identification of funding priorities for each of the highways. BUT… The time taken from the time of recording the video survey through to the final release of the model can be to 12 months; and During this time, the highway conditions can inevitably change. The conditions on the highway may deteriorate or conversely, Significant improvements could be made by the road authority such was the case on the Duke’s Highway.
- What’s the better approach (Continued…) (By contrast) Highway reviews take less time to report which means that they can be carried out closer to the reporting deadlines; and This allows any recent changes to be captured. Highway reviews are also useful for validating the AusRAP data Often draft data is available prior to RAA’s highway review; and The model output can taken along on the review and cross referenced at the relevant sections on the highway to validate accuracy. As we have also seen, the Highway Reviews can also identify issues that may not necessarily be aparent in the video footage (ATLM wear and asphalt level difference) BUT…. While the reviews are carried out by experienced professionals, they do however remain subjective; and This can often make comparison between the annual assessments difficult.
- Summary AusRAP AusRAP remains the primary tool for AAA’s demand better roads campaign and continues to be the most valuable resource for advocating for better funding for the National Highway Network. AusRAP’s results have been proven when assessed against global crash data for a number of star-rated highways The SRIPs have proven a powerful tool in establishing the level of funding required for the network and the priorities for that funding. The length and number of highways however means that processing times are lengthy; and Video surveys are restricted by the field of vision and resolution which may mean that some localised issues may not be identified Highway reviews The highway reviews provide the review team with the motorists’ perception of the ride The reviews can identify issues that may not be picked up in video surveys alone; however The disadvantage to the reviews is that they are reasonably subjective and can only be done once – unlike the video surveys, if something is missed, it can’t be re-checked unlike a video survey. The solution Combining the two approaches addresses the deficiencies in each and provides a more rounded assessment of the highway, identifying most, if not, all the issues and RAA have found this to be a worthwhile and effective exercise in producing our reports. RAA will continue to adopt this approach into the future and broaden our scope to include other rural roads as well as potentially expanding the reviews into the metro network.
- Questions Acknowledgements Richard Butler for producing the Star Rating diagrams Charles Mountain for his input and review into the paper Rob McInerney for his technical input into the paper and for his support of RAA and our sister clubs throughout the AusRAP assessment. Questions?