What Is a Road Safety Audit

A road safety audit is a formal examination of a highway scheme carried out by qualified auditors who are independent of the design and delivery team. It identifies where a proposed or recently built road might create risks for anyone using it. Camps Highways explains the process, the stages involved and what audit teams look for.

Purpose and scope

The audit assesses collision risk rather than compliance with design standards. Auditors walk the site, review drawings and consider how drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists will behave once the scheme opens. They look for features that could confuse, surprise or endanger road users—poor sightlines, ambiguous markings, sudden changes in alignment.

The focus is on real-world behaviour. A junction may meet every geometric standard yet still mislead a driver unfamiliar with the area. Auditors flag that risk even when the design is technically correct.

When audits take place

Most schemes go through several audits as the project develops. Early checks catch problems when changes cost less; later audits verify that construction matches the approved design and that the completed scheme works as intended.

Feasibility and preliminary design

Stage One reviews the initial layout and identifies major safety concerns before detailed design begins. Auditors work from concept drawings, sometimes visiting the site to understand existing conditions. Findings at this stage often prompt layout changes or further investigation.

Detailed design

Stage Two examines the full engineering drawings before construction starts. The audit team checks dimensions, visibility envelopes, signing proposals and surface materials. Any issue raised here can still be corrected on paper rather than on site.

Completion of works

Stage Three happens after construction finishes but before the road opens to traffic. Auditors visit the site to confirm that what was built matches what was designed and that no new hazards have appeared during construction. Temporary features left in place, incorrect sign positions and inadequate road markings are common findings.

Monitoring period

Stage Four takes place between six and twelve months after opening, once road users have settled into patterns. The audit reviews collision records, examines wear on the surface and observes actual behaviour. Problems that only emerge under live traffic conditions—such as vehicles taking unexpected paths through a junction—are identified here.

Who carries out the work

Auditors must be independent of the project team. They hold recognised qualifications and maintain that independence throughout the process. A local authority may use in-house auditors for schemes designed by external consultants, or appoint a separate firm where the design team is internal.

The audit team typically includes a team leader and one or more members, with larger or more complex schemes requiring additional expertise. Road safety engineering experience is essential; auditors need to recognise risk in three dimensions and under different lighting and weather conditions.

Conducting a road safety audit

The process follows a clear sequence that ensures thorough examination and documentation of every concern.

1. Review all drawings, specifications and collision data for the existing road.
2. Visit the site during daylight and, where appropriate, in darkness or poor weather to assess visibility and lighting.
3. Walk or drive the route as different road users would, considering approach speeds, decision points and potential confusion.
4. Record each safety concern with a description, location and photograph.
5. Prepare a written report categorising problems and recommending changes.
6. Attend a meeting with the design team to discuss findings and agree a response.

Common findings

Certain issues appear repeatedly across audits. Visibility problems top the list—sightlines blocked by vegetation, street furniture or parked vehicles. Signing that arrives too late for a driver to react safely is another frequent concern.

Pedestrian provision often raises questions. Crossing points may lack suitable tactile paving, dropped kerbs can drain towards the footway rather than the carriageway, and guardrails sometimes channel people into unsafe crossing locations. Cyclists face risks where cycle lanes end abruptly or where the transition between segregated and shared space is unclear.

Surface and drainage

The audit examines surface materials for skid resistance, particularly on approaches to junctions and on bends. Drainage gullies positioned in wheel tracks can cause vehicles to veer, while standing water reduces grip and visibility. Ironwork that sits proud of the surface or rocks under load creates a hazard for motorcyclists and cyclists.

Temporary traffic management

Stage Three audits pay close attention to how construction features have been removed. Temporary road markings that remain visible confuse drivers, and gaps in the surface where barriers were fixed can catch vehicle wheels. Auditors check that all permanent signs are in place and correctly oriented before the contractor leaves site.

Responding to audit reports

The project team prepares a formal response to every point raised. Some recommendations are accepted and designed out before construction; others are rejected with a clear explanation of why the risk is considered acceptable or why the suggested change would introduce a different problem.

Designers are not required to implement every recommendation, but they must document their reasoning. The audit and response together form part of the project record and may be reviewed if a collision occurs after opening.

Comparing audit types

Audit documentation

Each report follows a standard structure. The introduction describes the scheme, lists the audit team and states which stage is being examined. The main body presents problems in order of severity or location, with each entry numbered for reference in the designer's response.

Photographs accompany most findings. A picture taken from a driver's eye height at the decision point shows what the auditor saw and makes the concern clearer to someone reading the report later. Plans marked with problem locations help the design team locate issues quickly.

Value to the project

The audit provides an independent view at a point when the project team may have lost objectivity. Designers who have worked on a scheme for months can overlook risks that are obvious to someone seeing the proposal for the first time. Auditors bring fresh perspective and experience from other projects.

Findings at Stage One or Two, when corrected, prevent costly rework during construction or, worse, retrofitting safety measures after a collision has occurred. The process also creates a record that the promoter took reasonable steps to identify and address risk, which can be important if the scheme is later challenged.

#Traffic management

Download PDF: Road Safety Audit Preparation Checklist PDF, 31 KB