Guidelines and standards for traffic safety management

There exist many technical documents setting out guidelines, standards, practices, and procedures for practising traffic planners and managers. Many of these cover road safety aspects of planning, design, construction and management activities, but often in an implied or supplementary manner. Safety checks have traditionally been included in road and traffic works, and in road design, but not in any formal way. There has been no clear focus or single reference document on these road safety considerations. A review of these matters in NSW has led to the introduction of a road safety audit program and the publication of a companion document providing guidance on road safety in managing the road and traffic environment. The paper outlines the development of these procedures and guidelines, and discusses their use in State and Local government agencies.