road user safety

Road User Safety

at RoadworksBrendon Wiseman

ROAD SAFETY POLICY MANAGER

17 September 2015

Gareth Peers

A/ROAD SAFETY POLICY

COORDINATOR

Keeping WA Moving

Keeping WA moving is our strategic direction for Main Roads. Our aspiration is to provide world class outcomes for the customer through a safe, reliable and sustainable road based transport system.

Area of focus: Safety

Provide improved safety outcomes

for all users of the transport network.

MRWA Road Safety Strategy

– The Road Towards Zero

• We believe that no one should die or be seriously injured on the State’s road network, and will manage the network to minimise road trauma.

• Our Vision: To eliminate death and serious injury crashes on the Western Australian road network.

Issues & Concerns

• Road user perspective

• Congestion

• Communication

• Non-compliance with

standards

• Accountability & responsibility

9%

Incorrect / Inconsistent

Traffic Management

• Unsafe worksites:- Non compliance by drivers- Speed differentials- Insufficient warning signage- Inadequate levels of protection

• Inefficient worksites:- Increase in project construction time / cost- Increased congestion- Increased whole of Government costs.

Understanding Human

Behaviour on the Road

There are two types of driver expectancy relevant to traffic management at roadworks (Naatanen and Summala 1976):

– Continuation expectancy• Events of the past will continue

– Event expectancy• Events which have not happened will not happen

When the Information does not match the driver’s expectations, system failures in the form of crashes and incidents are much more likely to occur.

No speed zone credibility = no compliance

Risks to Road Users

• Planning: consider workers and road users

• Road users are not limited to car drivers

• Pedestrians, such as school children and people with disabilities, cyclists, emergency vehicles, heavy vehicles and motor cycles all need to be catered for when planning roadworks.

Hazards after works complete

Traffic Control Hazards

DRIVER EXPECTATION

Night-Time Hazards

Pedestrians and Cyclists

Vulnerable Road Users

Not trafficable to cyclists or wheel chairs.

Worksite Hazards

Rail Crossings

Contra Flow Hazards

Detour Hazards

Catering for all vehicles

Innovations

Truck / Trailer Mounted

Attenuators

Electronic Variable

Speed Signs

• Makes the speed limit more obvious

• Motorists found to be more compliant

and slowed down when this type of

sign in use• Can be changed remotely

Mobile Speed Advisory

Signs

• Will assist compliance to the speed limits at worksites

• Can be activated immediately on arrival on-site

• Collects data on individual vehicles by date, time and speed

• Can be set at a specified speed and if vehicles enter the site above that speed wrist bands worn by traffic controllers will vibrate.

Portable Speed Humps

Road Safety Barriers

The Future

Code of Practice –

Recent updates

• New national unit of competency for TMA

operators

• TM Registration Scheme

• State Road TM Policy

Moving Forward

• Harmonisation of learning and assessment

• Austroads: Safety at Road works Research Project (International best practice)

• Australian Standard 1742.3 Review

• TMA guideline (WA) and national unit

• TM Industry training package (national)

Questions,

Comments?

road user safety

Education