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Maintaining and improving safety
Maintaining the Network
Our approach in 2002-03
Maintaining the network to keep it safe and available for use and to preserve it as a very valuable national asset, is a continuous requirement. This work accounts for the largest portion of our expenditure. Surveys show the network is in good condition and in order to keep it that way we carry out a wide range of activities, including:
- Regular inspections to identify where maintenance is needed.
- Repair and reconstruction of roads and bridges.
- Keeping the network clean, removing debris.
- Maintaining communications systems.
We always try to organise our maintenance work so that as little congestion as possible is caused.
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We successfully kept traffic flowing during work on improving the A12 Brentwood Bypass by working under cover of darkness between Autumn 2002 and Spring 2003. Major resurfacing, drainage and bridge maintenance works had to be carried out, but as this very busy road has only two lanes in either direction, daytime lane closures would have caused unacceptable delays.
Work was continuous but, with evening peak hours lasting until 9.30pm on this stretch of the road, lane closures were restricted to overnight working. A temporary road surface was provided on both carriageways to allow two lanes to remain open during the day.
Although one lane was closed in each direction overnight, congestion was kept to a minimum and there was no need for diversions. The maintenance work was successfully completed and the worn out concrete carriageway was replaced by a smoother and quieter surface, improving both safety and ride quality for road users and the environment for residents.
Case study The night shift
Our performance Results
We met our target of maintaining the network so that only between 7% and 8% would need maintenance in 2003-04, whilst ensuring that at least 90% of our maintenance work was undertaken outside of peak times.
We also ensured that 99.8% of our roads were salted within the required timeframe. However, at the end of January 2003 many motorists were delayed and/or stranded for a number of hours on the eastern network (including the M25, M11, M1, A1 and A14), which was badly affected by exceptional amounts of snow, freezing conditions and high winds.
On 30 January, our fleet of salt spreader/snowplough vehicles was mobilised to deal with the conditions – however, they were seriously delayed by accidents, abandoned vehicles and the congestion caused by an abnormal surge of traffic, with many motorists leaving work early due to the weather. Since then the Agency and its contractors have comprehensively reviewed its operating procedures for treating roads affected by ice and snow. We have held practice exercises during the summer months and, with our contractors, have improved our preparedness to deal with extreme conditions in future.
Looking to the future
In 2003-04 we will begin introducing a new approach to maintaining our roads over their 'life' - the period between the road being built and being replaced. This 'whole life cost' approach will provide a better and more cost effective balance between the need to carry out work, the cost, and the disruption to road users.
We are also reviewing the environmental indicators and will continue to monitor customer satisfaction through our annual surveys such as the Road Users' Satisfaction Survey. In addition we are developing performance indicators for other parts of the highways asset such as structures, communications equipment and lighting. Finally, we are looking for ways to improve maintenance activities by increasing use of technology - for example ultrasonic, infrared and radar surveys to assess bridge conditions.
Improving safety
Our approach in 2002-03
Safety on our network is a key concern for the Agency. The Targeted Programme of Improvements continues to make a significant contribution to road safety. Particular emphasis is being directed towards those working on the road network as well as those who use it. We have completed a number of small schemes to address local safety issues as well as others from its early action programme aimed at improving safety on the core network.
However we cannot achieve our long-term target for a one-third reduction of the number of people killed or seriously injured and a 10% reduction in the slight casualty rate by 2010 on our own. About a third of the target can be achieved through new roads and safety schemes, but the remainder will be achieved through new technology and initiatives to change driver behaviour.
We have been working with partners such as the Driving Standards Agency to increase road safety awareness. Examples of this include the publication of key messages for safety at roadworks and playing our part in safer driving campaigns.
As a result of the incident at Selby we have implemented Department for Transport guidance for identifying the levels of risk where roads cross or run adjacent to railway lines and have begun improvement works at sites where priority action is required
Our performance in 2002-03
We have continued to make good progress towards achieving the safety targets for motorways and trunk roads set out in Strategic Roads 2010, by exceeding our targets for 2002-03.
One of our targets for 2002-03 was to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured (KSI) on trunk roads by at least 555 to 4,436 (compared with the 1994-98 average of 4,991). In 2002-03 the number of people killed and seriously injured is down to 4,420, a reduction of 571. This has put us ahead of where we need to be to achieve our contribution to the Department for Transport PSA target of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured in Great Britain in road accidents by 40% and the number of children killed or seriously injured by 50% by 2010, compared with the average for 1994-98.
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Safe Driving Through Roadworks
Transport Minister, David Jamieson, launched the 'Safer Driving Through Roadworks' campaign in July 2002. Press notices and information leaflets about roadworks carried six key messages to encourage safer driving at roadworks:
- keep to the speed limit;
- get in lane in good time;
- concentrate on the road
- and not the roadworks;
- be alert for works traffic;
- keep a safe distance; and observe all signs.
This message was underlined at the Birmingham NEC Motorshow in October 2002, when former racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart launched the Agency's new safety video about safer driving at roadworks. The hard-hitting advert, shown on TV, depicted the death of a roadworker due to reckless driving and emphasised the 'Slow Down at Roadworks' message.
To increase the safety for all at roadworks, we have developed a best practice guide entitled 'Temporary Traffic Management on High Speed Roads'. The guide was drawn up in consultation with the construction industry, the Driving Standards Agency and the Freight Transport Association.
Our other safety target for 2002-03 was to reduce the slight casualty rate to no more than 21.41 slight casualties per hundred million vehicle-km (compared with the 1994-98 average of 22.14). By the end of 2002-03 the slight casualty rate was down to 20.84 (slight casualties per hundred million vehicle-km), a reduction of 6% compared to the 1994-98 average. This marks significant progress towards the 10% reduction required by the 2010 target.
We also completed 6 out of our 7 targeted Early Action Safety Schemes. While not meeting our target, the completed schemes delivered significant safety benefits including junction improvements, traffic-calming measures and better lighting. The final scheme was not completed due to a shortfall in funding suffered by our local authority partner.
Looking to the future
Further initiatives aimed at improving safety and reducing the number of casualties on the network include:
- The development of a new approach to risk management that will feed into our safety standards and provide an improved approach to safety management and casualty reduction.
- The development of a Safety Action Plan setting out how we will achieve the 2010 targets for casualty reduction.
- A detailed investigation of goods vehicle accidents on the network.
- A series of research projects to improve safety on motorway hard shoulders.
- In partnership with the police, a project is underway to develop a system to detect and warn drivers who are driving too close to the vehicle in front.
