United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration FHWA HomeFeedback
safety Back to Road Safety Audits (RSA)

FHWA Road Safety Audit Guidelines

Previous Page | Next Page

Road Safety Audits Logo

Post-construction Phase

Prompt List 6 – Existing Road Audit

Road Function, Classification, Environment

Road Alignment and Cross Section

  1. Visibility, sight distance
  2. Design speed
  3. Speed limit/speed zoning
  4. Passing
  5. ‘Readability’ (perception) of the alignment by drivers
  6. Human factors
  7. Widths
  8. Shoulders
  9. Cross slopes
  10. Side slopes
  11. Drains
  12. Combinations of features

Auxiliary Lanes

  1. Tapers
  2. Shoulders
  3. Signs and markings
  4. Turning traffic

Intersections

  1. Location
  2. Visibility, sight distance
  3. Signing and marking
  4. Layout and ‘readability’ (perception) by drivers
  5. Pedestrians, bicyclists
  6. Lighting

Interchanges

  1. Visibility, sight distance
  2. Lanes, shoulders
  3. Signing, marking, delineation
  4. Pedestrians, bicyclists
  5. Lighting

Signs and Lighting

  1. Lighting
  2. General signs issues
  3. Sign legibility
  4. Sign supports

Marking and Delineation

  1. General issues
  2. Centerlines, edgelines, lane lines
  3. Guideposts and reflectors
  4. Curve warning and delineation

Barriers and Clear Zones

  1. Clear zones
  2. Barriers
  3. End treatments /Crash cushions
  4. Pedestrian railing
  5. Visibility of barriers and fences

Traffic Signals

  1. Operations
  2. Visibility
  3. Placement of signal heads

Pedestrians and Bicyclists

  1. General issues
  2. Pedestrians
  3. Bicyclists
  4. Public transport

Older Drivers

  1. Turning operations (receiving lane widths, radii)
  2. Channelization, opposing left turn lanes
  3. Sight triangles
  4. Signing, marking and delineation
  5. Traffic signals

Bridges and Culverts

  1. Design features
  2. Barriers
  3. Pedestrian and recreational facilities, delineation

Pavement

  1. Pavement defects
  2. Skid resistance
  3. Ponding/icing/snow accumulation
  4. Loose stones/material
  5. Manholes

Parking

Provision For Heavy Vehicles

  1. Design issues
  2. Pavement/shoulder quality

Floodways and Causeways

  1. Ponding and flooding
  2. Safety of devices

Other Safety Issues

  1. Landscaping
  2. Temporary works
  3. Headlight glare
  4. Roadside activities
  5. Signs of possible problems (pavement, roadside)
  6. Rest areas
  7. Environment
  8. Median curbing

Previous Page | Next Page

back to top


FHWA
Office of Operations FHWA Safety Home