Road Safety Inspection of NH-205A: A Case Study

Abstract

Safety improvement measures are necessary if transportation safety is to be enhanced. To properly implement a specific safety improvement, however, it is vital to first establish the desired objective of each measure, like averting an accident or limiting the impacts of an accident once it has occurred. The present study discusses the suggested proposals that resulted from a road safety inspection of eight MoRTH-identified black spots on a semi-urban stretch of NH-205A between the Kharar and Banur towns in the north Indian state of Punjab. Due consideration of the accident data, detailed topographic surveys, traffic surveys, road inventory, and pavement condition surveys of the study stretch resulted in several observations and inferences based on which possible problems were identified and suitable solutions were drafted to overcome them. It was found that most of the minor intersections had inadequate visibility between the cross-traffic movements, especially during nighttime. The lack of traffic calming measures in built-up zones severely impacted the safety of pedestrian road users and two-wheeler traffic. The presence of industries between the adjacent Banur and Tepla stretch of the highway caused an increased movement of large vehicular traffic influencing the traffic dynamics, compromising the pavement’s structural integrity, causing traffic congestion, and time delays leading to a decline in the level of service. Suitable measures were suggested to ease the stress on pedestrian users, improve visibility at intersections, enhance ride quality, and enrich the user experience cost-effectively and efficiently.