IRAP, RSA and METRA:
The Malaysian way to
Ensure Safer Road
Infrastructure
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety
Research (MIROS)
Malaysia
CONTENTS
 Ensuring safer road infrastructure
 The dimensions
 Preventive vs cure
 Planned vs adhoc vs ignore/neglect
 Pre-requisite – design and construction
 Road Safety Audit (RSA)
 Operation and sustainability
 Road Assessment Programme (IRAP)
 Auditing operating facilities (METRA)
ROAD INFRASTRUCTUE
RELATED RISKS
 Poor road side protection
 Barrier issues
 Poor road design
 Curve
 Elevation
 Road cross section





Poor access management
Work/construction zone safety
Poor pavement management
Poor traffic management
Poor road hierarchy discipline/land use issues
Ending Point of the
Damage Bridge
Damage of the Bridge
Barrier (during the crash)
1st row of bridge
barrier
2nd row of
bridge barrier
• 1st and 2nd row
of bridge barrier
penetrate into
the bus
Source: China Press
Overall Crash Dynamics
1
3
1st Impact with Barrier
2
Rail Intruded Diagonally
4
The Rail Intruded
Bus entry – Principle direction of force: 12
o’clock
Rail Swipes the Lower Occupants
The bus tried to correct the maneuver
5
7
The Rail Bended
6
Skim the Median
8
Hit the Median
The right tires on top of the median
curb after the 2nd impact
Come to a Rest
The rest position of the bus
Bus Nearside
From the Rear
Internal View
Bus Offside
Guardrail Failure
POOR DESIGN
WHAT IS
WRONG WITH
THIS DESIGN
ANIMATION
HOW DO WE PREVENT
THESE?
PREVENTION VS CURE
 Planned vs Adhoc vs Ignore
 The best way
 In design
 Road safety must be a design requirement
 Road safety must not be an after thought
 Road safety must not be compromised when price-ceiling
bursts
 Maintenance
 Inspection
 Assessment
TOOLS FOR SAFETY
Internationally-known
 International Road Assessment Programme (IRAP)
 Road Safety Audit
Malaysian way to complement and to close existing
gaps
 METRA – Malaysian Guidebook for Traffic and Road
Safety Audit (for operational roads)
IRAP (INTERNATIONAL ROAD
ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME)
iRAP Project Aims

Drive safety upgrading where large numbers are killed
and seriously injured

Global methodology to generate effective and
economic countermeasure programmes

Implement performance tracking methodologies for
funding bodies to assess outcomes

Provide the training, manuals and web tools to build
and sustain national capability
iRAP Background
 Developed countries program – AusRAP, EuroRAP,
USRap, KiwiRAP
 Partnership of auto clubs, government, development
banks, research institutes
 Over 40 countries worldwide
 Non-profit organisation with core funding from the FIA
Foundation
www.iRAP.net
IRAP PROCESS
INSPECT
Video data collected using specialised equipment
RATE
Road attributes are recorded
GENERATE
Data analyses and options generated
APPRAISE
High return investment programmes recommended
DESIGN
Detailed design of schemes undertaken
BUILD
Safety upgrades are implemented
Malaysia – 2008 Pilot Study Outline
 3,700 km of peninsula Malaysia
surveyed
 Expressways (E1, E2, E8)
 Federal Roads (F1, F2, F3, F4,
F5, F7, F8, F67 and F76)
BEYOND THE PILOT:
Plans for Road Improvement
A 10-year Program
Implementation
of treatment
programs
Development of
treatment
programs
Setting up of
road
improvements
taskforce
22
Evaluation of
treatment
programs
Malaysian Guidebook for
Traffic and Road Safety Audit
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS)
RSA: Current Practice in Malaysia
 “Road Safety Audit: Guidelines for the
Safety Audit of Roads and Road Project in
Malaysia”
 Published by JKR in 1997, 2nd Edition in
2002
 A formal process done at various stages (5
stages) in the development of a project
 Auditors must be properly qualified
 Independent team of auditors
 Consideration of all road user groups
Road Safety Audit: Guidelines for the
Safety Audit of Roads and Road Project
in Malaysia, 2002
Cycle of Road Safety Audit
RSA Stage 1
RSA Stage 5
Existing Road
RSA Stage 4
Pre-Opening
RSA Stage 2
RSA Stage 3
The Gap
 Only carried out by experienced and certified
auditors (inadequate numbers)
 Subjective guideline
 Unspecified task or method
 Guidelines are for more experienced road
engineers
 Lack fundamental terminologies
 Guidelines do not provide guide for report writing
For Example
?
 Check that:…
 That traffic signals are provided only where warranted for
safe, efficient and equitable management of traffic flow
along and across arterial roads and for the safe crossing of
pedestrians.
?
?
?
?
Introducing!
Where MeTRA fits
RSA Stage 1
Road
Development
& Maintenance
RSA Stage 2
can be applied
RSA Stage 5
Existing Road
RSA Stage 3
RSA Stage 4 PreOpening
MeTRA Component
PART A
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
: Road Alignment
: Cross Section
PART B
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
: Un-signalized Intersection
: Signalized Intersection
PART C
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
: Interchange
: Bridge
: Tunnel
PART D
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
: Motorcycle Infrastructure
: Pedestrian Infrastructure
: Public Transportation Infrastructure
PART E
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
: Visual Aid
: Roadside Safety
: Road Surface
How MeTRA can Contribute to
Road Safety?
Objective and guided audit process
Increase audit activities by stakeholders
Inclusion of evidence based criteria
Cost effective and regular maintenance work
Integrated and strategic approach
31
 What is MeTRA?
 This guidebook comprises of a road safety audit procedures
specifically on operational roads which are guided through specific
task.
 Who is MeTRA for?
 Any parties with interest in road infrastructure improvements, e.g.
researcher, engineers, auditors, local authorities, or students.
 Where to use MeTRA?
 This guidebook is applicable to all road types regardless of
condition and usage.
 How to use MeTRA?





33
Issue
: Sets of questions that address various road safety issues.
Specification and Standard
: Explains or identify the relevant road safety standard and guidelines which
was
based on relevant references and research local and international.
Task
: Identify the specific instruction and assignment to be carried out in order to
answer the question pertaining to road safety issues.
On Site Data / Condition
: Allows users to input the existing data or measurement responding to the
task.
Comments
: Additional inputs or data that could help or assist in answering the question.
How to Use - Example
1 Measure distance
2 Determine
distance required
from
Specification &
Standard
1
How to Use - Example
0.8
1.0
Success Stories
Intersection & Alignment
Improvement
Before
Improved Line of Sight
After
Sight Distance & Delineation
Improvement
Before
After
Visual Aid Improvement
Before
After
• Kerbs were installed to properly segregate pedestrian from
motorized traffic
• Improvement of road markings
The Way Forward…Supporting the Pillars of Decade of Action
Vision & Target
User
Vehicle
Road
in
………
on
CONCLUSIONS
 The Safety of mobility and road infra-structure holds
a critical role to help address the road safety
problems especially in the low and middle-income
countries
 Preventive measures are critical
 Both at design stage as well as during operation
 IRAP, Road Safety Audit and METRA are useful tools
 BUT ABOVE ALL
 The “WILL” must be there.
THANK YOU
farhan@miros.gov.my