A Case Study on Road Safety Auditing

This study explores the primary concern for developing countries like India having huge network i. e., road safety. Although there are several other recognized practices for identifying road safety deficiencies or risk factors involved, Road Safety Audit (RSA) can be considered as a cost - effective and proactive method used for improving road safety by checking whether the roads are having the highest safety standards for all types of road users. The present study aims to identify critical safety issues observed while performing an RSA on a road is of six - lane divided carriageway in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana. Several deficiencies and risk factors were identified at different hazardous locations along the considered stretch of the road during the RSA. Some of such safety deficiencies identified during the audit process are Interaction of pedestrians with vehicular users, visibility and lack of infrastructure (improper usage in some locations). The insights obtained from the RSA report could not have been gained from the accident reports alone. Finally, countermeasures were suggested based on the observations made.