NRA says re-engineering needed on some routes

In a move that could be copied successfully in Ireland, news filtered through this week that Britain may embark on a plan to apply “safety star” ratings to its roads. The idea behind the proposal, reported by Nick Collins, is that it will help drivers to avoid the most dangerous routes and put the spotlight on local authorities with the worst safety records. It is reported that Ministers have “told the Highways Agency and councils to ‘consider the merits’ of adopting a five-star rating system similar to the EuroRAP programme”. That programme grades the safety of major roads across Europe.

The proposal in the UK comes at a time when concerns have been raised about the standard of some Irish roads by the NRA who are reported recently as saying: “lives will be in danger as congestion returns – unless sub-standard roads are improved and engineered to cope with higher volumes.”

The AA in the UK said:

 The official adoption of a star system by the government would help motorists understand which types of road and regions have the highest accident risk, while also naming and shaming the local highway authorities which have the worst safety records. In future the data could even be incorporated into online journey planners to help motorists avoid the most dangerous stretches of road”.

EuroRAP uses official accident data to analyse the relative levels of risk on all motorways and A-roads in Europe, rating them with a colour coding scheme similar to a five star system. It also helps to identify solutions which could improve local safety records. In its latest report for the UK, published on Monday, it highlighted the most improved road as a 9km stretch of the A404 between Amersham and the M25, where the number of fatal and serious accidents dropped by 92 per cent in three years due to measures such as improving road markings and renewing cats’ eyes.

Ireland

In 2005 the Republic of Ireland’s National Roads Authority and Roads Service Northern Ireland jointly applied the EuroRAP Risk Mapping methodology to motorways and major highways. Crash and traffic data for the five year period 1998-2002 inclusive was collated and assessed. You can read more on the Eurorap.org official site.

Obviously this UK proposal should be seriously considered for Ireland particularly if an outside agency such as EuroRAP were prepared to assist in collating results. Of more urgent concern are: the recent comments from the NRA about the safety of some Irish roads which need to be re-engineered; and maintenance schedules generally which need an injection of funding at a time when available public funds are still clearly stretched.