Development of road safety audit for bridge section

Abstract

Bridges are classified as a land transport infrastructure which tends to induce a higher number of annual road accidents. The purposes of this study are to consider essential road safety audit issues and to summarize them to the road’s government agencies, with a focus on bridge approach elements which provide safer means of transportation. The bridge accident data were obtained from Highway Accident Information Management System (HAIMS) and Accident Report Management System (ARMS). The study also reviewed road safety audit investigation measurements currently used in Thailand and worldwide such as those from the Department of Highway (DOH), Department of Rural Road (DRR), and Austroads (Australia). Additional information from experts and specialists by interview and field survey was collected and employed to improve the utility of bridges in Thailand. The study of 36 bridges in Songkhla province results show that the factors in concern are crucial for an establishment of safer and lower-maintenance bridges. The most important components of bridges which may cause road accidents were found to be bridge-neck parts and guardrails. For a higher level of road safety, the entrance and the exit of a bridge structure are recommended, as a first priority, in a future investigation.