Application and Evaluation of a Non-Accident-Based Approach to Road Safety Analysis Based on Infrastructure-Related Human Factors

Too often the identification of critical road sites is made by “accident-based” methods that consider occurred accidents’ number. Nevertheless, such a procedure may encounter some difficulties when an agency does not have reliable and complete crash data at site level (e.g., accidents contributing factors clear or approximate accident location) crashes are underreported. Furthermore, relying on means waiting for them to occur with related consequences (possible deaths injuries). A non-accident-based approach has been proposed PIARC. This involves application Human Factors Evaluation Tool (HFET), which based principles (HF). The HFET can be applied segments on-site inspections provides numerical performance measure named Scores (HFS). paper analyses relationship exists between results standard accident-based those obtainable HFET, analysis self-explaining ergonomic features infrastructure. study carried out this purpose considered 23 km two-way two-lane roads in Italy. good correspondence was obtained, meaning high risky identified HFS correspond already burdened number accidents. demonstrated allows identifying requiring safety improvements even if unavailable. It improving proactive NSS, avoiding occur.