Road Infrastructure and Road SafetyGeorge Mavroyeni – Executive Director, Major Projects(former Executive Director, Road Safety and Network Access)May 2011

World map

Victoria, Australia

VICTORIA

Victoria Argentina

Population– Australia – 21.9 million– Victoria – 5.5 million

Population– Argentina – 40 million

Victoria has:– 4.8 million registered vehicles– 3.6 million licensed drivers

Argentina has:– 9.5 million registered vehicles

In 2009/10, VicRoads maintained:– 22,600 kilometres– 3,140 bridges– 3,500 traffic signals

Argentina’s road network:– 230,000 kilometres– 72,000 km paved– 158,000 km unpaved

Socceroos La Albiceleste

Road Safety in Victoria

Victoria has made significant gains in road safety. In 2010:

Road toll of 287 - lowest on record.

5.17 deaths per 100,000 head of population, 6.24 for the rest of Australia.

Internationally, Victoria ranks in the top ten OECD countries

Victoria’s road toll 1970 - 2010

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100

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400

500

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1100

1970

1972

1974

1976

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1982

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2010

Year

Fatalities

Road types and crash risk in Victoria

Road type Crash risk¹

Freeways 0.23

Arterial A 0.72

B 0.89

C 0.93

1. Comparison of risk (fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle kilometres travelled), 2005 – 2009 data.

Fatalities – arterial roads vs local roads

Victorian Fatalities - Arterial vs Local Roads

234 254200 214 205

103 78103 76 83

050

100150200250300350400

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2006 -2010

averageArterial Local

Serious injuries – arterial vs local roads

Victorian Serious Injuries- Arterial vs Local Roads

40164700 5076 4640

3877

22232507

28362700

2374

01000

20003000

40005000

60007000

80009000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2005 -2009

averageArterial Local

Trend in fatalities – rolling total

200

220

240

260

280

300

320

340

360

380

400

Jan-

2008

May

-200

8

Sep-2

008

Jan-

2009

May

-200

9

Sep-2

009

Jan-

2010

May

-201

0

Sep-2

010

Jan-

2011

May

-201

1

Sep-2

011

Jan-

2012

May

-201

2

Sep-2

012

Jan-

2013

May

-201

3

Sep-2

013

Jan-

2014

May

-201

4

Sep-2

014

Jan-

2015

May

-201

5

Sep-2

015

Jan-

2016

May

-201

6

Sep-2

016

Jan-

2017

May

-201

7

Sep-2

017

Rolling 12-month total

Strategy target

Annual Average (2005-2007)

Trend in serious injuries – rolling total

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9000

Rolling 12 month total

Strategy target

Total Victoria Serious Injuries (2007)

The Safe System approach

The Safe System recognises that crashes will occur The road system must be designed to reduce the likelihood of

a crash So, when a crash happens, death and serious injury are

minimised

Australia’s Safe System approach

Sess

ion

one

<30 km/h – vehicle occupants in side impact

<40 km/h - pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists

<50km/h - vehicle occupants in side impact crashes with other vehicles

<70-80 km/h - vehicle occupants in head on crashes

Human tolerance to force and the safe system

Aim to achieve five star roads

Aim to achieve five star roads

iRAP / AusRAP

Fatalities / serious injury crash types

Fatalities in 2010 (percentage of total fatalities):– 40% run-off road crashes – 15% head-on (not overtaking) crashes– 10% side impact intersection crashes.

Serious injuries in 2010 (percentage of total serious injuries):– 26% run-off road crashes– 11% rear end crashes

Design guides for road design

VicRoads transitioned to the Austroads Guide to Road Design on 1 July 2010. 

Topics in the guide include:– Geometrics– Intersections & crossings (unsignalised and signalised,

roundabouts, interchanges)– Drainage design– Roadside design, safety and barriers– Pedestrian and cyclist paths– Roadside environment– Geotechnical investigation and design– Process and documentation

Continuous review of design, construction and maintenance standards

Guide for selecting the appropriate speed limit

Speed limits are the maximum speed for driving on the road.

Factors for setting limits:– type and amount of roadside development – prevailing traffic speeds– crash data– road geometry – number of type of road users.

Operation of the road – Intelligent Transport Systems

Installation of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) on the M1:– Since the implementation of the M1 Upgrade, casualty crashes

have reduced by 35 per cent.

Operation of the road – roundabouts

Before After

Roundabouts can reduce fatality and serious injury crashes by up to 85 per cent.

Operation of the road – signals at intersections

Operation of the road – pedestrian safety

Protecting pedestrians– Reduced speed limits in high pedestrian activity

centres: 17% reduction in pedestrian crashes.– Infrastructure improvements (crossings, raised

platforms, fencing).

Operation of the road – cyclists and motorcyclists

Cyclist safety– Bike lanes– Compulsory helmets

Motorcyclist safety– Consider motorcycles sharing bus lanes– Compulsory helmets

Thank you