Safer Roads – A smarter way to target investment: The Gold Coast experience
Keywords: Road Environment
ARSRPE
Submission Date: 2006
Abstract
The Queensland Main Roads South Coast Hinterland District manages over 1,000 kilometres of road
that spreads across the high volume, high growth Gold Coast region and into the adjoining hinterland regions with lower volume, lower standard networks.
The targeting of road safety investment to ensure the maximum reduction in road trauma requires a
new and focussed approach to help push the road toll downwards once again. The Road Safety Risk
Management methodology developed by ARRB in collaboration with the Main Roads and LGAQ Roads Alliance initiative is now helping the District achieve this goal.
District staff have applied the Road Network Safety Assessment tool across the whole region to
identify road safety hot-spots where the road authority needs to pay particular attention. The tool is based on the assessment of critical road engineering issues (e.g. roadside hazards, alignment, right turn provision and cross section) in a quick and efficient manner to ensure the model is resource friendly.
With the high risk sections identified, District staff have then identified potential treatments and assessed the BCR of those treatments using the Road Safety Risk Manager. The end result is a well prioritised road safety works program targeting interventions at high risk locations.
The paper will outline the approach taken and how the project has helped Main Roads provide better
road safety outcomes in the South Coast Hinterland District.