Workshop 1: Successfully deploying automated speed enforcement programs

Presented by the IRF Subcommittee on Enforcement
Lead presenters: Philip Wijers, Eva Lundberg
Wednesday, April 6, 10:30-12:00
Room D201

When properly implemented, speed and red light running cameras can considerably contribute to the reduction of casualties, injuries and crashes, as well as, improve traffic flow, and increase quality of life with more safety, lower emissions and less noise pollution. In addition to road safety measures, personal injury and death on roadways have a significant impact on the economy through medical costs, lost wages and disability pay outs. Serious studies conducted in different countries following the deployment of enforcement cameras found the proportion of speeding vehicles over the posted speed limit dropped by as much as 70% with serious and fatal crashes cut by 30-40%.

Automated speed enforcement programs therefore work, provided key principles are applied. This workshop will introduce comprehensive methodologies to allow states, provinces and/or cities around the world to effectively and economically utilize state of the art speed and red light cameras to improve the safety of their road network, while addressing concerns regarding the use of these devices as revenue generators and not for road safety improvements. This topic is timely and highly relevant for road and traffic enforcement authorities and road safety advocates around the world.

Workshop 2: State of the Art of Electronic Toll Collection

Presented by the IRF Committee on ITS
Lead presenters: Emmanuel Grandserre, Sergio Battiboia
Wednesday, April 6, 14:00-15:30
Room D201

The electronic toll collection (ETC) market is characterized by a diversity of solutions and systems which are frequently based on legacy developments addressing different technical and regulatory criteria. For national road agencies considering the deployment of ETC systems, this diversity of solutions means that comparing relative whole-life costs and strengths is a daunting task.

The principal objective of this workshop is to provide road stakeholders with a detailed understanding of those electronic tolling solutions that are available at the current time, and those that have potential for the near future. Those solutions are placed in the context of their real-world deployment across different types of schemes, as well as the applicable charging and enforcement solutions available to network managers. At the end of the workshop, participants will have been exposed to selected ETC schemes at different stages of maturity and representative of the diversity of market solutions.

Workshop 3: Minimum Qualifications for Road Safety Auditors

Presented by the IRF Committee on Road Safety
Lead presenter: Mike Dreznes
Thursday, April 7, 10:30-12:00
Room G104

Road safety audits are effective and efficient tools to help road authorities reduce the number of accidents and casualties, because design standards alone cannot guarantee road safety in all conditions. IRF strongly supports the extended and expanded use of road safety audits and inspections at all stages of road design and operations.

This workshop will place particular emphasis on the qualifications of the individuals conducting road safety audits. The ultimate goal is to use locally-drawn expertise to conduct these audits wherever possible. This in turn requires road authorities to have a clear definition detailing who can conduct audits and inspections. Conversely, unqualified personnel could miss obvious safety concerns resulting in an unsafe road. Worse yet, the road authority would be using its limited financial resources to conduct these audits with less than acceptable results.

Workshop 4: Forgiving Roadsides

Presented by the IRF Subcommittee on Roadside Safety Features
Lead presenters: Mike Dreznes, Jean Bloch, Carolien Willems, Mike Stenko
Thursday, April 7, 14:00-15:30
Room G104

Road authorities around the world are developing best practices to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes by making their roads and roadsides more "forgiving." A safe roadside includes a safety zone or clear zone that is free of fixed obstacles. This provides a recovery zone where the driver who has driven off road can take corrective actions to get back on the road. When this clear zone cannot be achieved due to the presence of fixed objects, such as utility poles, luminaries and sign posts, efforts must be made to modify these fixed objects to make them more forgiving. While this will not eliminate impacts from happening, this will significantly reduce the consequences of the impacts for the motorist(s). According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, utility poles, luminaries and sign posts are responsible for 15 percent of the fatalities when a fixed object alongside the road is impacted

This course will introduce attendees to technologies being used around the world to make poles located close to the road more forgiving. Attendees will learn about the current testing standards for these products used in Europe (EN12767) and in the United States (MASH-Manual to Assess Safety Hardware). The course will also explain how to evaluate these products and to better understand where and when to implement them.