Our Approach
Building Partnerships
At iRAP’s heart is a spirit of cooperation between organisations involved in making roads safe. iRAP works closely with automobile associations, governments, funding agencies, research institutes and other non-government organisations to ensure that projects benefit from broad support and diverse expertise.
Inspecting Roads
Using specially equipped vehicles, software and highly trained analysts, iRAP teams undertake detailed road inspections. These inspections focus on more than 30 different design features known to influence the likelihood of crashes as well as their severity. These features include intersection design, road cross-sections and markings, roadside hazards, footpaths and bicycle lanes.
Star Rating
iRAP’s Star Ratings provide a simple and objective measure of the level of safety ‘built in’ to the road for car occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Five-star roads are the safest, and one-star roads are the least safe. Star Ratings are based on road inspection data collected through road inspection and analysis.
Risk Mapping
In regions where detailed crash data is available, iRAP produces Risk Maps that tell us where people are dying and where their crash risk is greatest. The maps capture the combined risk arising from the interaction of road users, vehicles and the road environment.
Investment Plans
iRAP develops affordable and economically sound Safer Road Investment Plans that save lives. The plans draw on more than 70 proven road improvement options. The options range from low-cost road markings and pedestrian refuges to higher-cost intersection upgrades and full highway duplication. The plans are complemented by best practice advice on implementation through the Road Safety Toolkit.
Performance Tracking
Governments and funding agencies need to measure success and the effectiveness of investment. Our Star Ratings and Risk Maps provide objective measures that can be used to track road safety performance, report on road safety outcomes and establish policy positions. In the UK, for example, EuroRAP used Risk Maps to demonstrate that the government had achieved a significant reduction in high-risk primary route roads between 1997 and 2006. In the Netherlands, the government has committed to eliminating one-star and two-star national roads.
Support and Capacity Building
One of iRAP’s leading aims is to ensure that there is strong local ownership of each programme. Therefore, each new project incorporates strategies for building and sustaining the capacity of stakeholder organisations through training, advice and direct experience in using iRAP technology and software. Regular regional workshops help to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the latest developments in technology and research. The workshops also help to build professional relationships that support knowledge sharing and best practice.
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