Road safety audit for a regional corridor

Road Safety Audit is a safety tool that offers promise to help reduce roadway crashes and fatalities. The Transportation Association of Canada (Reference 2) defines a road safety audit as "a formal and independent safety performance review of a road transportation project by an experienced team of safety specialists, addressing the safety of all road users". The purpose of this project was to select a "high risk" corridor in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario and to conduct a Road Safety Audit of the corridor. The audit involved an in-depth study of the accidents that have occurred in the corridor during the last five years. Analysis of the collision data was supported by site visits during which the roadway and intersections were examined in detail to gain an understanding of why collisions occurred and why particular types of collision occurred. Numerous recommendations were developed from the audit process. The recommendations included improving pavement condition, installing new traffic signs, relocating existing traffic signs, reducing the number of driveways at certain locations, improving lighting, installing additional traffic control devices such as red light cameras, and conducting an in-depth study to consider possible geometric improvements. All of the measures suggested are designed to contribute to accident reduction in the corridor. In addition, the report recommends and road safety audit should be widely used in Canada to evaluate and improve the safety of our highway system and to minimize the risk of accidents.