Road safety contract awarded in UK

An important road safety contract has been awarded in the UK. The Road Safety Foundation won the work to review how investments are prioritised to improve safety outcomes by Highways England (HE). This deal was awarded by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Under the terms of the contract the Foundation is to review how HE ranks the location and type of scheme to deliver. This will focus on how these decisions are influenced by HE’s key performance indicators. It will also analyse how HE takes account of
November 7, 2019 Read time: 3 mins
An important road safety contract has been awarded in the UK. The Road Safety Foundation won the work to review how investments are prioritised to improve safety outcomes by Highways England (HE). This deal was awarded by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).


Under the terms of the contract the Foundation is to review how HE ranks the location and type of scheme to deliver. This will focus on how these decisions are influenced by HE’s key performance indicators. It will also analyse how HE takes account of the safety star rating of the network when making investment decisions.

The review will examine how HE considers safety outcomes in its economic appraisal of future schemes. This will evaluate the success of safety schemes, and how this subsequently informs future investment priorities. It will look at how cycling, safety and integration ring-fenced fund and safety improvements are delivered as part of major schemes.

Of key importance is that the project will assess how safety investment on smart motorways is appraised, prioritised and evaluated.

Kate Fuller, acting executive director of the Road Safety Foundation said: “This commission is an ideal opportunity to health-check the approach of Highways England to road safety in a timely way. This should help to shape and influence future programmes of interventions in order to get better value for money, save more lives and reduce injuries on our strategic road network. We are proposing an in-depth analysis, which will include detailed person to person interviews and comparisons with best practice around the world. The outcome should be of value to everyone in the industry, including local highway authorities.”

Commenting on the contract, Iain Ritchie, ORR’s roads performance analyst said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Road Safety Foundation on this project to review how Highways England prioritises its investments to improve safety. By highlighting areas of best practice, and identifying opportunities for further improvement, the project will support Highways England in achieving its long-term goal that nobody is harmed when travelling or working on the strategic road network.”
 
To deliver the four-month project, the Road Safety Foundation is working with global expert in road safety management Jeanne Breen OBE and Tony Ciaburro of Castello Consulting, a specialist in providing strategic policy advice and support on transport, infrastructure and environmental services to both the public and private sectors.

Related Content

  • Lobby harder and louder if you want better roads says UK transport politician Christopher Chope at PPRS Paris 2015
    February 24, 2015
    A huge leap in highway investment, more privately-run toll motorways and a stronger road industry lobby would all be welcomed by Christopher Chope, chairman of the UK’s highway maintenance all-party parliamentary group. Speaking exclusively to World Highways at the PPRS Paris 2015 pavement preservation and recycling summit, Chope said “yes, I would very much like to have a lot more capital investment in the roads sector. There are still too many pinch points out there … where one motorway meets another for
    Read More
  • PPRS event highlights transport investment shortfall
    April 30, 2015
    The PPRS event in Paris highlighted the need for additional investment in road transportation – David Arminas writes. Consider the global road network. An improved road from one rural African town to another can reduce the journey time from a one-day walk to a one-hour drive. This could save lives through access to a hospital; allow small businesses to work faster by getting in supplies more quickly; allow children to attend a better equipped school. Roads affect society by allowing healthier and bett
    Read More
  • Democratisation of technology: an interview with Ivan Di Federico
    June 20, 2025
    A very different global future is emerging where a successful business must have a large amount of the right data and access to the best technology. But for long-term success a business must create value for its customers, says Ivan Di Federico, formerly chief strategy officer and now president and chief executive officer of Topcon Positioning Systems. He talks to Anthony Oliver, host of the Infrastructure podcast.
    Read More
  • PPRA Niagara Falls: getting better value for road maintenance budgets
    August 19, 2015
    Larger road budgets would go a long way towards maintaining in top shape highway infrastructure across the United States and Canada. But even considering what is being spent now, are road owners and highway contractors getting the biggest bang for their buck? That’s what delegates to this year’s Pavement Preservation Recycling Alliance conference in the beautiful Canadian resort city of Niagara Falls will find out from October 13-15. “One of the things that I learned in Paris at the first Pavement Preser
    Read More

Highlighted Content