USA Banner
  U.S. flag
              An official website of the United States government Here's how you knowOfficial US Government Icon
              **Official websites use .gov**A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
            Secure Site Icon
              **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                  A **lock** ( A locked padlock ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
 U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation
 Search DOT
            Search
                    About FHWAFHWA Organization
                Headquarters Offices
                Field Offices
                Strategic Plan
                Business Opportunities
                Staff Directories
                Careers
                Highway History
                Contact UsProgramsAcquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                Safety
                Browse by TopicsResourcesCore Highway Topics
                Federal Aid Essentials
                Automation
                Complete Streets
                Laws and Regulations
                Policy & Guidance Center
                Section 508
                Publications and Statistics
                Professional Development
                National Highway Institute
                Resource Center
                Accessibility Resource Library
                FHWA Research LibraryNewsroomPress Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Photos
                Videos
                Media ContactsMenu FHWA Highway Safety Programs Home
                        FHWA Road Safety Audit Guidelines


            
            In This Section
        Safety Data Analysis & Tools
                Crash Modification Factor Clearinghouse
                Roadway Safety Data Program (RSDP)
                                Overview
                Data Driven Safety Analysis
                Data Management
                Safety Data Analysis Tools
                Local Data Integration
                Technical Assistance
                Case Studies
                Training
                Resources
                Highway Safety Manual (HSM)
                Model Inventory of Roadway Elements (MIRE) and FDEs
                Systemic
                                Overview
                Why Systemic
                Training
                Resources
                Road Safety Audits
                                Overview
                Benefits
                Legal Issues
                Steps of Conduct
                Training
                Resources
                
                7.0 Post-construction Road Safety Audits
Part B: The Road Safety Audit Process

7.0 Post-construction Road Safety Audits

RSAs in the post-construction phase (referred to here as an RSA of existing roads) will have a different focus from a traditional safety review or investigation of crash history.

7.1 RSA of Existing Roads

Traditional safety reviews and investigations of crash history rely primarily on crash data to determine what safety issues are occurring at the site. They are reactive as they mainly identify safety issues after a crash or pattern of crashes have occurred and are often initiated in response to an unusually high number of crashes occurring along a section of road or at a particular intersection or interchange.

**What is the purpose of an RSA on existing roads?**

Evaluate all roadway and roadside features, design elements and local conditions (glare, night visibility, adjacent land uses, etc.) that would increase the likelihood and severity of a crash.
	Review firsthand the interaction of the various design elements with each other and the surrounding road network.
	Observe how road users are interacting with the road facility.
	Determine if the needs of all road users have been adequately and safely met.
	Explore emerging operational trends or safety issues at that location.In contrast, RSAs of existing roads rely mainly on the site visit, as-built design drawings (if kept up to date), and other project data (e.g., previous reports) to determine what safety issues are expected to arise at the site. This will provide the RSA team with an accurate picture as to the level of safety on the road. For this reason, RSAs are proactive as they can identify where crashes will likely occur and what will be their resultant severity. Crash data, if available, should be used to supplement any findings made as a result of the site visit and review of project data. However, the RSA team may choose not to examine the crash history until after the project data review and site visit have been completed so that their evaluation is not biased by the crash data. Also, crash data is often dated and does not always help in determining emerging operational trends or safety issues at a location.

The following project data may be provided to/requested by the RSA team:

As-built design drawings (noting whether these accurately reflect existing conditions).
	Previous crash investigations conducted.
	Crash data (by location, crash type, and severity).
	Volume data.
	Speed data.
	Signal timing plans (if applicable).
	Roadway functional classification.
	Existing policies, standards, and guidelines.
	Previous audit reports.*Range of scope for existing road RSAs.*

RSAs of existing roads may vary in scope. Three different, commonly-conducted types of RSAs on existing roads are as follows:

RSAs of specific locations.
	RSAs of an entire highway section, freeway section, or road network.
	RSAs of a specific feature or design element within an entire highway section, freeway section, or road network.*Observing driver behavior during the field visit.*

Photo showing a young girl on a bicycle stopped at and intersection.

When conducting RSAs of existing roads, the RSA team will have the advantage over pre-construction and construction phase audits in that they may not only observe the various road features and how they complement each other but also see how road users are interacting with the road facility. They may observe incidents of driver behavior that suggest something inherently wrong, misleading, or absent in the road design. Vulnerable road users (e.g. elderly drivers or pedestrians, visually impaired pedestrians, children) may be observed having particular difficulty negotiating through a site being investigated. Alternatively, they may observe motorists committing traffic offenses (e.g. excessive speed, red light running, failing to yield to pedestrians) and may suggest an enforcement or education-based treatment.

*Examining physical evidence of past crashes and off-road excursions.*

Another advantage of conducting RSAs of existing roads over RSAs in the pre-construction or construction phase is the RSA team's ability to observe physical evidence of past crashes and off-road excursions, such as:

Damage to curbs, roadside barriers, trees, utility poles, delineator posts, and signs.
	Scuff marks on curbs and concrete barriers.
	Skid marks, broken glass, oil patches on the road.
	Vehicle tracks or rutting in the ground adjacent to a roadwayPhoto showing two people from a Road Safety Audit team inspecting a damaged guide rail.

Such evidence will assist in diagnosing possible areas of elevated safety risk. Where damage has occurred such that a roadside feature has been compromised, this should be noted and reported in the audit as a maintenance concern.

For RSAs of existing roads, unless otherwise directed by the project owner, all roadway and roadside features or elements are to be considered as within the scope of the RSA , as in a detailed design stage RSAs.

Another feature of RSAs of existing roads is that, at the outset, the RSA team will want to consider whether the road facility under review has the same function and classification as it did when it was originally designed and constructed. Changes in traffic volume, vehicle mix, increased presence of vulnerable road users, or adjoining land use developments may have rendered the original classification and design of the facility obsolete. Standards, policies and guidelines may be a starting point for the RSA team in identifying roadway/roadside elements or features that are no longer consistent with the function and classification of the road, and are potentially posing a risk to road users.
      
  Book traversal links for 7.0 Post-construction Road Safety Audits
      ‹ 6.0 Construction Road Safety Audits
                    Up
                    8.0 Road Safety Audit Prompt Lists ›
                
                Book:FHWA Road Safety Audit Guidelines
              Preface
                1.0 Introduction
                2.0 Implementation of Road Safety Audits
                3.0 Overview of Road Safety Audit Process
                4.0 Conducting Road Safety Audits
                5.0 Pre-construction Road Safety Audits
                6.0 Construction Road Safety Audits
                7.0 Post-construction Road Safety Audits
                8.0 Road Safety Audit Prompt Lists
                Prompt List
                Pre-construction Phase: Prompt List 1 – Planning Stage Audit
                Pre-construction Phase: Prompt List 2 – Preliminary Design Stage Audit
                Pre-construction Phase: Prompt List 3 – Final Design Stage Audit
                Construction Phase: Prompt List 4 – Work Zone Traffic Control Plan Audit
                Construction Phase: Prompt List 5 – Pre-Opening Stage Audit
                Post-construction Phase: Prompt List 6 – Existing Road Audit
                Development Projects: Prompt List 7 – Land Use Development Proposals Audit
                Appendix A
                Appendix B U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

202-366-4000Subscribe to email updates
                    About
  

        
              About FHWA
                Careers
                Org Chart
                Staff Directories
                Work with UsPrograms
  

        
              Acquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                SafetyPolicies, Rights, Legal
  

        
              About DOT
                Accessibility
                Budget and Performance
                Civil Rights
                FOIA
                Information Quality
                No FEAR Act
                Office of Inspector General
                Privacy Policy
                USA.gov
                Web Policies and Notices
                Web StandardsNews & Events
  

        
              Newsroom
                Press Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Media Contacts
                Connect with Us