Unit 1: Road Safety Information System

Practical Road Safety and Infrastructure Management

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Upon completion of this unit you should be able to:

Explain importance of information systems for road safety Explain Safe Systems Approach to road safety Describe the requirements for road safety assessment

Explain the Roles and needs of various sectors Describe the Information requirements for detailed measurement

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UNIT CONTENTS: 1. Importance of information systems for road safety

2. Safe System Approach

3. Quality of Information Systems

4. Information requirements for detailed measurement

5. Roles and needs of various sectors

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Introduction Road transport is essential for growth and development. Traveling by road is unfortunately a high risk activity, especially in developing countries. In order to determine the extent of the risk, it is important that we have access to accurate, reliable and current data to effectively address the challenges that exist and take the necessary action to reduce the risk to road users.

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Importance of information systems for road safety

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1.3 million people are killed on the world's roads every year and a further 10-50million people are injured. The economic and social costs of these crashes and injuries are devastating, not only for the families of the victims but also for the society as a whole. The availability of road crash information: Enables governments to implement the programmes and projects

necessary to improve the road crash, injury and fatality situation in their countries.

Develop policies and programmes to target specific problem areas through law enforcement, engineering and education solutions, and we can measure the impact of such programmes by using data provided through information system.

Reliable and comprehensive data assist road safety practitioners in the development and implementation of effective programmes. The cycle of gathering data, taking action and evaluating results is fundamental for road safety strategy.

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Question 1: Why do you think road crash information systems are useful?

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Road Safety information System It is a fact that road safety problems are not unsolvable. This

reads to questions such as: Which priorities to set? which measures to take? And which effects to expect? In order to be able to answer all these questions, data, knowledge and information are needed to give a comprehensive and objective picture of the road safety problems and of the effectiveness and efficiency of potential road safety measures. A road safety information system comprises all the relevant data.

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Cycle of gathering data Accurate and comprehensive information can also assist to create the political awareness and will to priorities road safety by: Illustrating the nature and

magnitude of the road traffic injury problem,

Demonstrating the effectiveness of interventions;

Providing information on reductions in socio-economic costs that can be achieved through effectiveness prevention.

Define problems

Identifying risks factors

and priorities

Formulate strategies

Set targets and monitor perfornamce

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2. Safe System Approach

The availability and use of accurate data to identify challenges is vital element of the Safe Systems approach to road safety. This approach aims to develop road transport systems that are more forgiving and tolerant to human error. The approach also takes into account the weaknesses of the human body. The main aim of the Safe Systems approach is to prevent fatal and severe injuries by recognizing and attending to the main engineering factors that contribute to them. This approach does however require recognition of the fact that road safety is a shared responsibility of road users and road engineers.

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Safe System approach- Road Users, vehicles and the road network all form part of the Safe System Approach

National Road Safety Action Plan 2007-2008, Canberra Australian Transport Council 10

Additional notes: NEWZEALAND SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH

The Safe System approach aims to create a forgiving road system based on these four principles: 1. PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES We need to recognize that people make mistakes and some crashes are inevitable. 2. PEOPLE ARE VULNERABLE Our bodies have a limited ability to withstand crash forces without being seriously injured or killed. 3. WE NEED TO SHARE RESPONSIBILITY System designers and people who use the roads must all share responsibility for creating a road system where crash forces do not result in death or serious injury. 4. WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN ALL PARTS OF THE SYSTEM We need to improve the safety of all parts of the system – roads and roadsides, speeds, vehicles, and road use so that if one part fails, other parts will still protect the people involved 11

3. Quality of Information System Information on road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries are collected on a daily basis, but it is the collection of this data into a single information which proves to be a challenge. In many countries there is no single lead agency responsible for the collection of road traffic crash data. Crash information is collected by the police. Hospitals keeps record of patients admitted as a result of injuries sustained in road crash. Emergency services keep tally of the number of victims attended to on the road. Insurance companies keeps record of claims paid out.

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3. Quality of Information System cont…

The information gathered may be of use to the entity itself but is of little use to road safety practitioners responsible for reducing road crashes, fatalities and injuries. The information only becomes useful once it is collected, collated, combined, processed, analysed and assessed.

An effective road safety information system should:

Record nearly all fatal crashes and most of the injuries crashes;

Contain detail of location, vehicle type, road environment ad road users involved in road crashes, e.g. pedestrians, driver, passengers, cyclist, as well as possible causes;

Be able to produce reports and process requests for information in a timely manner

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3. Quality of Information System cont The adequacy and efficiency of the various information

systems used in various countries have an impact on the availability of data and the effectiveness of programmes implemented to reduce the road crash, injuries and fatality rates.

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4. Information requirements for details measurement Crash statistics alone do not provide adequate information to gain complete understanding of the road safety situation in a country. Crash data usually do not contain adequate information about the prevailing circumstances at the time of the crash. The lack of crash investigation expertise, especially in developing countries, further exacerbates the problem.

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4. Information requirements for details measurement cont…

A complete road safety information system should therefore be equipped with information collection and analysis processes that cover the following : Final outcomes- Death and serious injuries Exposure measures- information on prevailing circumstances

e.g infrastructure factors, traffic volume, demographic Intermediate outcomes- e.g. average traffic speeds, seat belts

wearing rates, etc Output- e.g. law enforcement efforts. There are, however, only a few countries that have all this information available for road safety planning.

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4. Information requirements for details measurement cont…

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Additional Information requirements cont.

Social Costs: damage that society judges to be negative, and therefore to be prevented.

Crashes & injuries: the features of accidents and victims; possibly related to exposure quantities in order to calculate road safety risks.

Safety Performance Indicators: Safety performance indicators can be defined as any measurement that is causally related to crashes or injuries, used in addition to a count of crashes or injuries in order to indicate safety performance or understand the process that leads to accidents.

police registration of road accidents.

This data is processed into national accident statistics

Safety measures and programmes: policy, programmes, and measures.

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Shortcomings Police registration system: (Crashes & Injuries)

1. the police is not informed of every accident, 2) if so, they do not always go to the scene of the accident, 3) if so, they do not always complete an accident registration form, and 4) if they do, they do not always complete the whole form properly. Police does not always send the form to the national accident registration body.

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4. Information requirements for details measurement cont…

Effective road safety management would involve a number of institutions and the programmes or plans, and the results of these plans. By collating all the information from all the institutions road safety practitioners can obtain a more comprehensive picture of the road safety situation.

The results of the various plans or interventions occur at different level, as illustrated in previous slide.

Random breath testing and campaign to promote helmet use are example outputs that result from programmes implemented by various institutions. These outputs have an impact on the operation of the road traffic system, for instance; average speed travelled, number of drunk drivers, use of seatbelts, etc. we call these outcomes “safety performance indicators” and it has a direct impact on the final outcomes, the number of deaths and injuries. The reduction of social costs is of course the ultimate results of an effective road safety management system.

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5. Roles and needs of various sectors The three main sectors involved in the road safety arena are transport, law enforcement and health. The work done by these sectors has an impact on the risks and outcomes of road traffic crashes. In order for us to understand road safety information systems, it is important that we understand the function of each sector, the information they require and the information that they have access to or generate.

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5.1 Law enforcement The purpose of the police or law enforcers to ensure the personal safety of citizens and visitors to the country, and it includes the use of roads. The activities of police or law enforcers in achieving this aim is supported and guided by legislation which provides parameters and guidelines for safe road use. In many countries road crashed have to be reported to the police and an accident report form is completed in order to ensure that the police have all the information that they require. Police also have to collect information of the road users, and vehicles involved and the prevailing conditions e.g. was it raining, was it dark, street lighting, etc.

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5.1 Law enforcement cont… The information gathered by the police is a essential building block for an effective information system.

The police also require information to assist them in performing their duties. This information could assist the police in identifying high risk areas, where they should have a more focused approach.

Law enforcers require information to enable them to:

Monitor transgression( wrongdoing/misbehaviours/offense)

Keep track of legal proceedings such as court appearances, and outcomes such as fines and sentences

Enable them to do effective law enforcement e.g placing of speed cameras

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5.2 Transport The transport sector’s role is the provision of an efficient system that allows the safe transport of people and goods.

Therefore, the sector is responsible for:

the condition, design and construction of the road environment that promotes or inhibits safe travel;

the roadworthiness and registration of road vehicles;

the management of examinations to test/establish a driver’s ability to operate different vehicle types safely on the road ( driver’s testing and licensing.

Transport sector activities focus on ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the road traffic system by encouraging the correct use of the network by road users.

Information is required by the transport sector to implement the correct road user control interventions, such as pedestrian crossings, or speed humps to reduce the risks exposure of road users. Road crash information can also be used to identify hazardous locations or routes and correct design flaws may occur. The transport sector is the main user of the results of traffic information systems. 24

5.3 Health The health sector’s aim in relation to road traffic crashes is to prevent injuries, and where they occur, to minimize the severity of the injury and its consequences. Pre-hospital care, hospital emergency room and in-patient care, and physical and psychosocial rehabilitation are the responsibility of the health sector.

Information that is gathered and collated by the health sector includes:

Types of injuries sustained in crashes;

Severity of injuries

Provision of emergency medical services

Cost of treatment

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5.3 Health cont… The health sector requires data in order to: Determine the extent fatal and non- fatal road crash injuries Identify risk factors; Evaluate the effectiveness of injury management and

treatment Ascertain ( determine/ establish) trends and develop

intervention programmes Plan effectively for trauma care and rehabilitation services

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End of unit 1 Thank you

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