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Road Safety Audits
Benefits
PennDOT Experience
- The findings of the audits identified safety improvements that exceeded those that could have been anticipated by just reviewing for standards compliance. Often, standards only set minimum criteria. By using the RSA process, safety for all road users was achieved.
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Additional improvements were identified and incorporated into the projects as a result of a formalized team review.
- The reports were circulated throughout the agency which led to similar situations being treated in a consistent manner. This "spill-over" into other projects led to additional safety enhancements.
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By raising safety concerns early in the process, they could be given full consideration before other constraints control project decisions.
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The interdisciplinary teams were able to cite concerns that were outside those normally considered in safety reviews.
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The quality of the field reviews was enhanced by the discipline of the RSA process and the interdisciplinary input.
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The structured nature of the process forced individuals to communicate with one another in a non-threatening environment.
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The RSA process, with its multiple stages, demonstrated how safety concerns could be addressed through all stages of designing a project.
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Team members learned from one another. They were aware of what the others were observing and how each team member was contributing to the process.
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Rather than being concerned that someone was looking over their shoulder, designers welcomed the input from others, which for the most part, confirmed their decisions and helped them on "sticky" issues.
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It was found that the RSA teams were viewed as a source of expert advice.
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Following the model of the Baldridge Quality Assessment process, the RSA assures that quality is maintained throughout the design process. For example, suggestions to "cut costs" may have severe safety implications that are minimized by using the RSA approach. A good example is in understanding the relationship between safety and the design of drainage features. Saving money on drainage structures can have significant safety implications.
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