APPENDIX 1
ROAD SAFETY AUDIT POLICY
1.0 Purpose
1.1 This policy sets out how Luton Borough Council will carry out Road Safety
Audits following the updating of the requirements for Road Safety Audits by
the Highways Agency.
1.2 Although Road Safety Audits are only mandatory on trunk roads (including
motorways) it is considered best practice for Highway Authorities to carry
them out on highway schemes.
2.0 Scope
2.1 This policy applies to all new road schemes, road improvements and traffic
management schemes implemented on roads for which Luton Borough
Council is the Highway Authority and all new developments, regardless of
the cost of the improvement/scheme.
2.2 All schemes will be subject to at least a safety check.
2.3 Schemes that have a significant effect on road users will undergo a full
safety audit following this policy.
2.4 The decision whether the scheme requires a full safety audit will be made
by the Road Safety Manager or member of the Safety Engineering team in
consultation with the designer.
3.0 References
3.1 Design Manual for Roads and Bridges – HD 19/03
3.2 Institution of Highways & Transportation – Guidelines for the Safety Audit of
Highways”
3.3 Luton Borough Council’s – Road Safety Audit Guidelines (to be published
2006)
4.0 Procedures for requesting and implementing Road Safety Audits
4.1 Road Safety Audits will be carried out broadly in line with HD 19/03
(reference 1) and to Luton Borough Council’s – Road Safety Audit
Guidelines (reference 2).
4.2 Road Safety Audits will be carried out at the following stages
APPENDIX 1
Stage Stage Name
Number
1 Completion of feasibility & preliminary
design
2 Completion of detailed design
3 Completion of construction
4 Monitoring 1 year and 3 years after
completion
4.3 The Stage 3 darkness audit may be carried out at a different time but within
2 months of the Stage 3 daytime audit. The audit team members may be
different but independent from the designers of the scheme.
4.4 The Road Safety Audit will also include provision for vulnerable road user
audits, cycle audits, technical and maintenance observations. A combined
report will be produced (see paragraph 5.0).
4.5 A representative from Bedfordshire Police Traffic Management Section and
a representative of the Council’s Highway Maintenance Services will be
invited to attend stages 1 to 3 to give expert advice. Other professionals
may be invited from time to time to give expert advice on their field of
expertise. These Expert Advisors do not formally constitute part of the audit
team.
4.6 The Safety Engineering team will appoint the audit team, comprising of a
team leader and at least 1 team member, who have had no substantial
involvement with the design. These officers must, in the opinion of the
Road Safety Manager, be suitably qualified to undertake the audit (see
paragraph 8 below).
4.7 If the Road Safety Audit is to be undertaken by an external consultant
paragraph 4.6 above still applies and normally one of the team members
should be a member of the Councils Road Safety Audit team.
4.8 Observers may be invited to any stage of the audit for training purposes.
4.9 It is the Project Sponsor’s responsibility to ensure that adequate time is
allowed in the programme to allow for the audit procedures to be carried out
and for possible post-audit changes to be included in the design. Guidance
is given in the Luton Borough Council Road Safety Audit guidelines.
5.0 Audit Report
APPENDIX 1
5.1 The audit report will be based on best practices from the references given in
paragraph 3 above.
5.2 All members of the audit team are to agree the audit draft and the agreed
draft should be forwarded to the Safety Engineering Team (marked
‘DRAFT’) to ensure consistency of format and audit recommendations.
5.3 The Audit team will forward a final report to the Project Sponsor for
consideration of recommendations.
5.4 The Audit team will pass all paperwork (copy of final report, plans and
notes) to the Safety Engineering team for filing and save an electronic copy
of the report in the designated place on the server.
6.0 Audit Recommendations
6.1 The Project Sponsor will:-
• Decide which audit recommendations are to be implemented and
arrange necessary changes
• Complete an Audit Recommendation Exception Report (Exception
Report).
6.2 The Exception report will be completed for all safety audits. If all
recommendations are to be implemented this should be stated on the
Exception report. For recommendations that are not implemented the
reason should be stated on the Exception report.
6.3 The final decision as to whether an audit recommendation is accepted will
be the responsibility of the Project Sponsor’s Service Manager or where
appropriate the Head of Engineering and Transportation. They should sign
the Exception report to show their acceptance.
6.4 The signed Exception report should be returned to the Safety Engineering
team for filing.
6.5 If the scheme is subject to the Construction (Design and Management)
regulations 1994 (CDM), the Project Sponsor will complete a “stage 1 & 2
summary sheet” for Pre-Construction Health & Safety Plan or “Stage 3
summary sheet” for scheme Health & Safety File and forward these along
with the ‘Exception report to the appropriate Planning Supervisor.
7.0 Audit Records
7.1 The Safety Engineering team will monitor and maintain records of all Road
Safety Audits and Road Safety Checks.
APPENDIX 1
7.2 The Safety Engineering team will maintain a spreadsheet of all Safety
Auditors carrying out Safety Audits for the Borough including qualifications,
experience etc.
8.0 Qualification of Auditors
8.1 The following qualifications are required
Audit Team Leader
• Minimum of 4 years Accident Investigation, Road Safety or Traffic
Engineering experience
• Completion of at least 5 road safety audits in the past 12 months as
a team leader or member.
• At least 10 days of formal Accident Investigation or Road Safety or
Traffic Engineering training.
• Completion of an appropriate “Advanced Road Safety Audit”
course.
• HNC in Civil Engineering or equivalent qualification or
Civil/Highway engineering experience.
• Be qualified as a team member
Audit Team Member
• Minimum of 2 years Accident Investigation, Road Safety or Traffic
Engineering experience.
• Completion of at least 5 road safety audits in the past 24 months as
team leader, member or observer.
• Minimum of 2 days Continuing Professional Development in the
field of Road Safety Audit, Accident Investigation & Prevention,
Road Safety Engineering or Traffic Engineering in the past 12
months
• Completion of an appropriate “Introduction to Road Safety Audit”
course
• ONC in Civil Engineering or equivalent qualification or
Civil/Highway engineering experience.
Audit Observer
• A minimum of 1 years Accident Investigation, Road Safety or Traffic
Engineering experience.
8.2 Road Safety Auditors from Consultants will be required to submit a detailed
CV for approval by the Safety Engineering team in advance of undertaking
Road Safety Audits.
9.0 Definitions
9.1 The following definitions have been used in this document
APPENDIX 1
Term Definition
Safety Check A check on safety for minor schemes that do not require a full
road safety audit. It will involve a safety auditor qualified to at
least team member standard completing a check of the
proposals, with a possible site visit and giving
recommendation in the form of a memorandum to the
designer.
Project Sponsor Project designer or person responsible for ensuring the
project is completed.
CDM The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
Regulations 1994 and subsequent updates.
