1. An introduction to road safety
engineering
Semarang
23rd & 24th April 2012
Phillip Jordan, Consultant
Road Safety International Pty Ltd

2. My Objectives:
• To outline briefly the problem of road safety -
globally and in Indonesia
• To outline “road safety engineering”
• To emphasise the important role of the road in
road safety
• To encourage you to design, construct and
manage safer roads
Introduction to road safety engineering

3. A Global Problem
• 1.3 million deaths each year on roads of the world (about
3600 per day, or 150 per hour, or more than 2 per minute !)
• Over 15 million are seriously injured
Introduction to road safety engineering

4. A Global Problem
The WHO predicts that by 2020 there will be 2.3 million
traffic crash deaths worldwide, constituting 27.4% of all
injury related deaths
90% of these will occur in low and middle income
countries
For example, Indonesia had 34,000 fatalities in
2011(Police figures)
By 2020 that may be up to 60,000 deaths
Global road safety - Phillip Jordan

5. An Indonesian Problem
• Some 34,000 deaths each year on the roads of Indonesia
• Over 250,000 are injured (that’s 700 per day)
• 61% of deaths are motorcyclists
• 15 -20% of deaths are pedestrians
• Numbers are increasing!
Introduction to road safety engineering

6. An Indonesian Problem
Motorcyclists Males

7. An Indonesian Problem

8. Victoria had a serious safety problem 40 years ago
• In 1970, 1061 people died on the roads of Victoria
(a rate of about 9 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles)
• Legislation, public awareness, engineering and co-
ordination between agencies has reduced this figure.
• In 2011, 287 people died on Victoria’s roads
(a rate of 0.9 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles)
There is hope !
Introduction to road safety engineering

11. What is road safety engineering?
Road safety engineering is:
“the modification of the physical road environment,
using proven processes and techniques, that
endeavours to reduce risk for all road users”
Introduction to road safety engineering

12. What is road safety engineering?
A profession that combines:
• Traffic engineering
• Road design
• Human factors
• Detailed analysis
• Reactive processes
• Proactive processes
• Lots of judgment
Introduction to road safety engineering

13. What is road safety engineering?
The two main processes in RSE are:
• Blackspot investigation (a reactive process) – relies on the
crash record for a site, and aims to reduce the crash frequency
and/or severity at that site.
• Road safety audit (a proactive process) – takes the same skills
but applies them during the design stages of a new road project
to prevent crashes.
Introduction to road safety engineering

14. • manual 1 - Road Safety Engineering
Manual and accompanying DVD
An Indonesia-specific document and audio-visual aid to
assist in improving safety on Indonesian roads using low-
cost measures, including blackspot investigations.

15. Some engineers in the past have blamed all crashes
on the human – the drivers, the pedestrians, the
motorcyclists.
These engineers have not understood that they have
a vital role to play in reducing crashes.
Improvements to the road are some of the most cost-
effective things to do to improve safety.
For example – in Australia, the National Road Safety Strategy has road
improvements (blackspots etc) to be the highest priority
Introduction to road safety engineering

16. Crashes involve....
• Humans
• Vehicles
• Roads
Introduction to road safety engineering

17. Road safety involves....
• Police
• Engineers
• Teachers
• Health professionals
• Politicians
• More
Introduction to road safety engineering

18. The Haddon Matrix
Introduction to road safety engineering

19. If you have a location on a highway where many
crashes occur, you might.....
• Do nothing – its not your job!
• Blame the drivers/riders
• Ask the Police to enforce the road rules there
• Work with the local community and teachers to educate
drivers/riders and pedestrians about road safety
• Ask DGLT to inspect all the vehicles at the location and take
the unsafe ones off the road
• Ask the local hospital to improve their emergency services
Introduction to road safety engineering

20. If you have a location on a highway where many
crashes occur, you might.....
• Or maybe you are enlightened and you will understand that
you have a blackspot on your highway.
• You will get as much Police crash data as possible.
• You will read it, prepare a collision diagram and a crash factor
grid.
• You will be a detective and look for patterns in the crashes
(types of crashes, time of day, weather conditions, day vs night)
• Then you will develop low cost countermeasures that address
the main patterns of crashes
Introduction to road safety engineering

21. • If so – you will be acting responsibly and will be
helping to reduce the crashes and the crash severity
at your problem site
• This is what crash investigation is all about.
Introduction to road safety engineering

22. Many differences, many
similarities
• There are many different roads around the world
• There are many different road users also
Introduction to road safety engineering

23. Many differences, many
similarities
• Some countries drive on the left side, some drive on
the right side.
• A few drive on both sides!!! - joking
• Some countries have good crash reporting systems,
some do not.
• Some have many motorcycles – some do not
• Some have many different road users – some don’t.
• What lessons are there for Indonesia from other
countries?
Introduction to road safety engineering

24. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

25. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

26. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

27. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

28. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

29. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

30. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

31. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

32. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

33. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

34. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

35. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

36. Roads and users may differ, but
safety is a global problem
Which country is this?
Introduction to road safety engineering

37. Many differences, many
similarities
What lessons are there for Indonesia from other countries?
1. Road safety is a business – you must show economic benefits from your
work.
2. Road crashes cost the Indonesian community a lot of money – almost
3% of GDP.
3. Road safety takes a long time to improve – but the sooner we start, the
sooner Indonesia will benefit from safer roads and lower trauma costs.
4. You can have a life long career in road safety engineering.
5. Improving blackspots is one of the most cost effective things you can do.
Introduction to road safety engineering

38. What is a Road Crash?
“a rare, random, multi-factorial event in
which one or more road users has failed to
cope with their environment.”
Introduction to road safety engineering

39. Road crash definition
 road crashes are :-
 rare - 1 in 200 people injured every year
 random - impossible to predict where and when
the next crash will happen
 multi-factor - combination of behavioural, vehicle
and highway factors.
Introduction to road safety engineering

40. These are crashes –
they are not “accidents”
We should use the word “CRASH”
Accident implies that :
• the cause was unpredictable
• no human could have done anything to prevent it
• it is outside of our “control”
• It was in the “hands of the gods”
Introduction to road safety engineering

41. We should use the word “CRASH”
But a road crash:
• Can have “things” done to prevent it
• Is within our “control”
• Can be prevented
• Is related closely to risk, and is predictable
Introduction to road safety engineering

42. Road safety is a global problem
Introduction to road safety engineering

43. Road safety is a global problem
Introduction to road safety engineering

44. Please remember…….
Road safety engineers can make a vital
contribution to road safety in Indonesia.

45. Putting the road into road safety
LESSON 1: Engineers can improve safety by
making low cost improvements at blackspots
Introduction to road safety engineering

46. We eliminate blackspots with treatments such as:
• Signs
• Line markings
• Intersection improvements
• Street lighting
• Barriers and roadside hazard improvements
• These can be summarised into 5 actions.....
Introduction to road safety engineering

47.  warn
 inform
 guide
 control
 forgive
Introduction to road safety engineering

48. Road safety engineers should....
..... create a road
environment which warns,
informs, guides and
controls all road users, but
forgives them when they
make a mistake

49. Road safety engineers should....
 warn
 inform
 guide
 control
 forgive

50. Road safety engineers should....
• warn
• inform
• guide
• control
• forgive
SHOULD ONLY BE USED IF THE
BRIDGE IS NARROWER THAN TOO GENERAL
THE ROAD

51. Road safety engineers should…
 warn
 inform
 guide
 control
 forgive
What is this warning of ?
Introduction to road safety engineering

52. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
TOO GENERAL

53. LESSON 2: Engineers improve safety by
correctly using warning signs
Good warning signs must be:
- specific (not general)
- well located – not too close, not too far, not hidden
- sometimes repeated/duplicated
- reflective (for night time safety)
- well maintained

54. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
RHS
Roundabout

55. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Confirmation signage

56. LESSON 3: Engineers improve safety by
providing good, timely information
Good information is:
- provided when and where it is needed
- able to be read easily
- sometimes repeated (especially on high speed roads)
- reflective (for night time safety)
- well maintained

57. Road safety engineers should....
Guide post
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
CAM’s, guide posts, edge lines, centre lines

58. Road safety engineers should....
??
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
One CAM only, we need a series of CAM’s.
Use plastic signs if these get stolen.

59. Road safety engineers should…
 warn
 inform
 guide
 control
 forgive
Plastic guide post
Introduction to road safety engineering

60. Road safety engineers should…
R/C guide posts
 warn
 inform
X
 guide
 control
 forgive
Introduction to road safety engineering

61. LESSON 4: Engineers improve safety by
providing good guidance to road users
Good guidance must be:
- continuous through a curve and along a route
- consistent across a network (not only at some
places, and not others)
- standardised where possible
- reflective (for night time safety)

62. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Speed restriction sign

63. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Traffic signals

64. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Roundabout

65. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Railway crossing signals

66. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Regulatory traffic signs

67. Road safety engineers should....
??
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Even this badly maintained sign can
be recognised as a Stop sign

68. LESSON 5: Engineers improve safety by
providing correct traffic control
Good traffic control must be:
- enforceable by Police (legally compliant)
- standardised – all signals the same colour, all
signs the same shape/colour
- well located – highly visible
- well maintained
(why are so many traffic signals out of action in Indonesia?)

69. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Sealed shoulders

70. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Driveable roadsides

71. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
X
This is NOT forgiving

72. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
X
This is NOT forgiving

73. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Crash cushions

74. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Crash barriers

75. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Wire rope safety barriers

76. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
X
Crash barriers – if used they must be
correctly installed and maintained

77. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
X
Deep drains are not forgiving – if used
they must be covered and maintained

78. Road safety engineers should....
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Slip based lighting columns

79. Road safety engineers should....
??
o warn
o inform
o guide
o control
o forgive
Sometimes we simply need a new highway!

80. LESSON 6: Engineers improve safety by
providing a forgiving road
A “forgiving” road is one that:
- does all that is possible to keep the vehicles
on the road
- has driveable side slopes, no uncovered
drains nearby
- removes or relocates roadside hazards
- uses forgiving roadside furniture
- has crash barrier only where really needed

81. LESSON 7: Engineers improve safety by installing
crash barriers only where really necessary
Barriers should only be the last option – and if used they
must be correctly installed and maintained:
- located well off the road
- correct height, long enough to shield the
hazard
- safe terminals (most terminals are not safe in Indonesia)
- good reflectors (for night time safety)
- well maintained

82. There will be more on these topics in the
remainder of this workshop
Introduction to road safety engineering

83. Road safety engineering has a big future
in Indonesia – Police and engineers
working together to save lives
I look forward to detailing the blackspot
process next – are there any questions?
Introduction to road safety engineering