Road Safety Inspection in Austria Thomas Fessl Best

Road Safety Inspection in Austria Thomas Fessl Best in Europe Conference Brussels, February 21 -22 2006

Road Safety Inspection of Austrian motor- and expressways Road Safety Inspection (RSI) is a periodical controlling instrument of the existing road network (including roadsides), independently of number of accidents. RSI allows the implementation of remedial measures before accidents occur. source: High Level Working Group on Road Infrastructure Safety, 2003

Road Safety Inspection of Austrian motor- and expressways In Austria, Road Safety Inspection of motorways and expressways started in July 2003. - 2003 and 2004: 11 inspected sections - 2005/2006: 10 sections A 8 A 21 A 9 S 6 A 10 A 14 S 36 A 12 motorway expressway inspected sections 2003, 2004, 2005 sections under inspection A 22 A 4 A 7 A 2 A 2 A 9 S 35 A 9 S 4 S 31

Road Safety Inspection of Austrian motor- and expressways RSI in a team (road safety experts & civil engineers) including: accident analysis – accident map analysis of the traffic conditions analysis of the constructional elements inspection – on-site visit meetings and interviews with motorway maintenance unit and traffic police • analysis of road surface (pavement rating - ruts, friction, …) • analysis of road maintenance measures • analysis of road environment • • • remedial measures (short-, medium-, long term)

Road Safety Inspection of Austrian motor- and expressways interchange Edlitz Example: section A 2 South motorway - Wechsel (Lower Austria) variable speed limit Accident map Catalogue of proposed measures improvement of winter maintenance tunnel lane markings with increased night visibility in wet road conditions existing speed camera interchange Krumbach installation of a speeding warning system structural measures (long term): - to broaden the shoulder lane - corrections of crossfalls province border rest area Zöbern existing speed camera – to be in interchange operation Zöbern permanently

Road Safety Inspection of Austrian motor- and expressways Section A 2 South motorway - Wechsel Measures Status Time of implementation /planning Qualitative evaluation has been implemented February 2005 personal injury accident: reduction of 60 % damage – only accident reduction of 30 % currently being carried out results in June 2006 - has been implemented 2005 no improvement (according to the motorway maintenance unit) Short term Section Control Accident investigation in the area of the Section Control Lane markings with increased night visibility in wet road conditions

Road Safety Inspection of secondary road networks in Austria At present, Road Safety Inspection pilot study on secondary road networks (contracted by the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology): RSI is carried out at seven selected sections in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland: • rural roads • municipal roads The results of the RSI (sections) will be reflected in a draft guideline in May 2006.

Road Safety Inspection within the 6 FP Project RIPCORD-ISEREST (WP 5) Best Practice Guidelines on Safety Inspection • Start: January 2005 • End: September 2007 Goals: Ø Ø Standardised approach for RSI in Europe Setting up of implementation plan Developing of checklists Carrying out of practicability tests

Road Safety Inspection within the 6 FP Project RIPCORD-ISEREST Main problems in defining a common understanding of RSI Ø Existence of great number of RSI approaches across Europe Ø Lack of a standardised RSI approach within the countries Ø No legal basis for RSI in most countries Ø No standardised RSI reporting in most countries

Road Safety Inspection within the 6 FP Project RIPCORD-ISEREST Common understanding on RSI Ø Ø Ø Preventive tool Independent of the occurred number of accidents Regular inspection Covering the whole existing road network Carried out by trained traffic expert team

Road Safety Inspection in Austria Current approach in Austria Ø Selection of inspection sites depending on the actual number of occurred accidents, priority given to sections with an accident rate above average Is it RSI at all or another road infrastructure safety management tool?

Road Safety Inspection Thomas Fessl Kf. V – Road Safety Economics Tel. : +43 -(0)577077 -1210 thomas. fessl@kfv. at www. ripcord-iserest. com