Background
As part of the ongoing process of building safety into highway improvement schemes and other developments affecting the public highway, designers are required to follow a procedure for auditing designs and newly completed works.
Road safety audits are carried out on all County Council and developer promoted highway schemes, the latter as part of the planning control process.
They ensure that adequate levels of safety are maintained and that problems identified at similar sites are avoided in new works.
Aims of a road safety audit:
- To identify potential road safety problems
- To help the designer eliminate/mitigate any potential safety problems where possible.
- To minimise the likelihood of road accidents occurring as a result of the work
Safety audits only consider road safety matters.
They are not:
- A check on design standards
- A technical check
- An opportunity to redesign a scheme
Stages of Safety Audit
Safety audits are carried out at 4 stages of a project:
- Stage 1 - Feasibility and preliminary design i.e. conceptual
- Stage 2 - Detailed design
- Stage 3 - Upon completion (and preferably before being open to traffic)
- Stage 4 - After the project has been in operation for a period of time. (Stage 4a is carried out around 12 months after completeion, and 4b at 36 months after completion.)
At each stage the audit findings, together with any recommendations, are put in a formal report to the project designer for consideration and action. The designer is required to respond formally to any points raised in the audit and agreement must be reached with the auditor before proceeding with the next stage of the project.
If there is no agreement then the designer will need to apply for an exception report.
Stage 4 safety audits are carried out after 12 and 36 months after the scheme has been completed. This audit stage investigates any personal injury accidents that have occurred so that any significant problems can be identified and remedial work recommended.
The Designer
The designer is requried to provide the following information for each of the stages:
Stage 1
- A location plan and drawing showing the outline and extent of the proposed project
- Numbered and dated outline design drawings with appropriate cut lines
- A contruction cost estimate for the scheme
Stage 2
- A location plan showing the extent of the proposal
- Signed copies of any departures from standard
- Details of any changes introduced since the previous audit
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All construction drawings including (where relevant) layout; construction; drainage; lighting; signing (with signing schedules); traffic signals (including phase diagrams); measurements or a scaled drawing
- Confirmation of the construction cost estimate of the scheme
Stage 3
- A location plan showing the extent of the proposal
- Details of any changes intriduced since the previous audit
Stage 4
No additional information is required.
Charging
Charges are levied for the safety audit process to allow the council to cover the costs involved. The charging levels take into account the estimated cost of the project and requests for a safety audit need to include a cost estimate for the works.
Safety audits can be undertaken by external agents provided that the audit team includes a council auditor, for which a charge would be levied. Alternatively, the audit could be undertaken solely by an external agent but it would then be subject to an in-house vetting process for which a charge would also be levied.
Where required, a free of charge pre-audit meeting (maximum duration of 1 hour) can be arranged to help advise on any conceptual design issues.
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Stage of audit
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Under £100 k
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£100,000- £1 million
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Over £1 million
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Safety comments
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£200
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n/a
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n/a
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Pre-audit discussions
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No Charge
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(Max 1 hr duration)
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Stage 1
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Concept
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£450 + mileage
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£850 + mileage
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Quote prepared
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Review of external audit
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£250
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£450
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Quote prepared
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In-house auditor's participation in external audit
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£50 hr + mileage
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£50 hr + mileage
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£50 hr + mileage
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Stage 2
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Detailed design
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£450 + mileage
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£850 + mileage
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Quote prepared
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Review of external audit
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£250
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£450
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Quote prepared
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In-house auditor's participation in external audit
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£50 hr + mileage
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£50 hr + mileage
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£50 hr + mileage
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Stage 3
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Post construction
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£600 + mileage
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£1200 + mileage
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Quote prepared
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Review of external audit
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£400
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£700
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Quote prepared
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In-house auditor's participation in external audit
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£50 hr + mileage
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£50 hr + mileage
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£50 hr + mileage
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Further information
Some common road safety audit problems (from What goes wrong in highway design, AA Group Public Policy):
- Lack of deflection at roundabouts
- Speeds on links greater than the design speed
- Lack of continuity of cyclist features
- Poorly sited pedestrian crossings / not on desired lines
- Signs / lamp columns in front of safety fences
- Signs obscured by vegetation or other obstructions
- Poorly designed (or non-existent) tactile paving at pedestrian crossing points
- Lack of dropped crossings (or not flush) for pedestrians and wheelchair users
- Missed opportunity for cycle lanes
- Poorly sited street furniture obstructing cycleways and footways
- Inspection chamber covers in circulatory carriageway and exits of roundabouts
- Unprotected embankments
- Too many entry lanes at roundabouts
- See through on existing roads
- Poorly sited lay-bys
- Lack of temporary signs
- Poorly sited street furniture at roundabouts especially chevrons and mini-roundabout signs
- Lack of anti-skid or insufficient length
- Poorly sited traffic signal heads
Further reading:
- Guidelines for the Safety Audit of Highways 1996
- Institution of Highways and Transportation Road Safety Audits HD 19/94 and HA 42/94
- Design Manual for Roads and Bridges
Contact
For further information on any aspect of the safety audit process, please contact the Road Safety team on 01223 715549 or Accident.Investigation@cambridgeshire.gov.uk