Program Planning, Development & Evaluation Honorable Mention: To University of Wisconsin - Madison for Road Weather Safety Audits
Road Safety Audits (RSA) are a formal examination of a future road or traffic project or an existing road in which an independent qualified team reports on the project’s crash potential and safety performance. The Road Weather Safety Audit (RWSA) is a logical extension of conventional RSAs with particular emphasis on highway safety from an adverse weather impact perspective.
The project included several objectives, among them the development of a comprehensive and formalized RWSA for Wisconsin; defining and identifying key processes and procedures for RSAs and RWSAs under the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) organizational structure; providing a framework to implement audit procedures through audit checklists covering all stages of a road project; integrating the RSA/RWSA with current policies by incorporating it into the WisDOT Facilities Development Manual; and identifying and providing sources and procedures for basic information regarding the preparation of data for different stages of the audit process.
The institutionalization of the RWSA into WisDOT has heightened awareness of weather issues that impact infrastructure and operations. Most RSAs have been performed when the weather is pleasant and the impact of traffic operations and safety during adverse weather conditions such as snow, rain, sleet, and fog are often not considered.
For more information, contact:
Todd Szymkowski
University of Wisconsin-Madison Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory
Telephone: 608-263-2684
Email: szymkowski@engr.wisc.edu
Rev. 10/30/07