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CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ENGINEERING. CONTENTS. Shortage of road safety engineering practitioners Why do we need them? What must they be able to do? How do we train them? Who should do it and who will coordinate it. CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS (%). SOUTH AFRICAN STUDY.
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CONTENTS • Shortage of road safety engineering practitioners • Why do we need them? • What must they be able to do? • How do we train them? • Who should do it and who will coordinate it
SOUTH AFRICAN STUDY • Human error – 82.85% • Vehicle – 9.13% • Road and environment – 8.02% RTMC, 2009
HOWEVER • It is easier to influence human behaviour by engineering means than by education or enforcement (Ogden,1996) • Road users are effected by the road, markings and signs (Hauer, 1994) • Traffic control systems can help road users drive safely (NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, 1992) • Accident investigation and prevention work is by far the most cost effective means of reducing casualties (UK DOT, 1987) • Of 11 priority measures to be implemented nationally, 6 were in the field of the engineer (US DOT, 1991)
HOW CAN THE ENGINEERS DO IT? • By warning the driver of substandard features • By informing the driver of conditions to be encountered • By guiding the driver through difficult sections • By controlling the driver’s passage through conflict points • By not surprising, or irritating the driver • By forgiving the driver’s errant or inappropriate behaviour (Rumar, 1982)
TOOLS AT HIS DISPOSAL • Signs and markings • Delineation, lighting • Consistent design • Chanalisation • The appropriate traffic control devices and the correct use thereof • Guardrails, crash cushions and recovery areas
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS • Seat belts & air bags • ABS brakes • Brake assist • Speed control • Electronic stability control • Lane control • Drowsiness & alcohol detection • E-call
CURICULUM • Safety management systems • Accident data • Human behaviour • Vulnerable users • Hazardous road locations and treatment • Road safety audits • Programme analysis • Monitoring and evaluation
TREATMENTS • Road design • Intersection & interchanges • Delineation, signing and lighting • Traffic control • Road maintenance and construction • Traffic management • The roadside
TRAINING • Departments of Civil Engineering at academic and technical universities • At Diploma, graduate and post graduate level • Ad hoc specialist courses for practitioners by SARF, RTMC, SAICE, Universities
CONCLUSIONS • We have a shortage of road safety engineers • They can contribute significantly to the reduction of accidents and the severity thereof • They must be trained to do this • Somebody should organise and coordinate the training
RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Department of Transport takes the initiative by establishing a Chair in Road Safety at a University who can then coordinate the necessary training courses. This chair may be sponsored by the Department or even the private sector.