This document enumerates the targets, indicators and service delivery mechanisms for reducing road safety risk factors.

As has been underscored at a number of key global events and in numerous documents published over the last decade, improving road safety is now an urgent global priority. The unfortunate reality is that road safety programmes and policies have failed to address the increase in the number of vehicles on roads and the average speed at which vehicles are travelling. This has exacerbated an already grave global road safety crisis.

The laws of physics relating to speed mean that all countries and regions would benefit from reductions in average vehicular speeds. Indeed, there is a direct correlation between vehicular speeds and the likelihood of people suffering physical harm, with the probability of crashes, injury and death rising as the speed of vehicles increases. Furthermore, vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, are all at high risk of severe or fatal injury in crashes, even at low speeds, because they are poorly protected. The harmful effects of speed also increase on wet, snowy or icy roads. However, any action taken to reduce vehicular speeds helps to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities, regardless of weather conditions and among all categories of road user.

Ideal speeds are lower than most road users think. Lower vehicular speeds are more economical than high speeds, and can enhance people’s environment, health and quality of life as a result of a reduction in costs associated with crashes, road maintenance, noise, fuel use, and emissions. There is also a turning point at which traffic flow improves with lower speeds.

A safe speed is one that is appropriate not only for the usage/type and quality of the road but also for a country’s vehicular fleet and the type and mix of the road users. The management of vehicular speed therefore includes setting speed limits that reflect those considerations and reduce the likelihood of death or injury in the event of a crash (these are known as survivable speed limits) as well as preventing speed limit violations (speeding).

For this report, a study was conducted to examine speed management in ESCAP member States in order to identify ways in which they can improve speed management. The study revealed that travel speeds on roads in those States are not controlled effectively through survivable speed limits, speeding enforcement, engineering interventions or vehicle safety measures.

Road safety is a sustainable development challenge for the whole world. The global road traffic deaths and rates of road traffic death remain unacceptably high as an estimated 1.35 million road traffic deaths occurred in 2016 which was about 3,700 road traffic deaths a day.1 Globally, road crashes are the 8th leading cause of death for people of all ages and number one cause of death for children and young adults 5-29 years of age. However, the rates of road traffic death remained constant since the beginning of the millennium, which was about 18 road traffic deaths per 100,000 population.

This report summarizes the analyses of the road safety data from the ESCAP member countries fall under the road safety management pillar of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011- 2020). This study considered analyzed data involving different pillars and areas of the The United Nations Global Framewor  Plan of Action 2018. The pillars and areas under the framewor  are shown in Figure 5 of the Appendix 2 of this report.

Intelligent transport systems (ITS) is a set of transport infrastructure and operation systems that maximize safety, efficiency and convenience of the road system by using advanced information technologies while minimizing costly large-scale road construction. While there is currently no single internationally agreed definition for ITS, it is generally understood to be the combination of technologies, most of which involve information and communications technology (ICT) as a platform, that are embedded within conventional transport infrastructure. These systems are a combination of technologies based on the new capabilities offered by modern ICT systems.

As one of the initiatives towards sustainable transport connectivity in Asia and the Pacific, the ESCAP secretariat, in association with the Korea Expressway Corporation conducted a study on the development of model ITS deployments for the Asian Highway network during 2015-2017. Under the study, the secretariat collected information on deployment of intelligent transport systems in China, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and Turkey. In January 2016, with a view to assessing ITS deployments in the Asia-Pacific region, the secretariat conducted a survey to gather information about the status and practices of ITS deployments in Asian Highway member countries. Responses from 21 member countries indicated that the deployment status of ITS services varied extensively across the region.

The Transport and Communication Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific is a peer-reviewed journal that is published once a year by the Transport Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Bulletin is a medium in which knowledge, experience, ideas, policy options and information on the development of transport infrastructure and services in the Asia- Pacific region is shared. The main objectives to these are to stimulate policy-oriented research and to increase awareness on the policy issues and responses of the transportation industry. The Bulletin attempts to widen and deepen the debate on the issues of interest and concern in the transport sector.

Transport plays an integral part in the development of social and economic opportunities. It facilitates the movement of people, goods, labors, resources, product and ideas across regions. Different transport modes and services and the state of domestic and international connectivity can greatly influence the well-being of the people and their own environment. However, as the levels of motorization in Asia and the Pacific continue to increase, it also has resulted in an increase of traffic fatalities and injuries. At the rate of the growing epidemic of traffic accidents, the issue of road safety has become a global development agenda. Managing the transport sector can make a direct and indirect contribution towards the achievements of the SDGs if the three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental – are integrated into transport policies, planning and operation. Two SDGs targets are relevant to road safety -target 3.6 to halve the number of road fatalities and injuries by 2020 and target 11.2 to provide safe, accessible and affordable sustainable transport for all by 2030.

The current issue of the Bulletin focuses on the theme of “Improving Road Safety”. Each of the six papers contribute different interesting aspects of the theme, and include various approaches in improving road safety in a particular context.

This document consists of recommended guidelines related to the “Asian Highway Design Standard for Road Safety” to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network.

While the guidelines are not mandatory in nature, the member countries of the Asian Highway network are encouraged to refer to the principles and recommendations given in the document for new road projects and improvements of existing sections of Asian Highway routes under their jurisdiction.

Due to the diverse circumstances of the Asian Highway Network, the adoption of particular recommendations would need to take into account prevailing social, economic and technical considerations.

In all cases, sound engineering skills are required to formulate specific solutions to address project issues which could be complex in reality. Flexibility and innovations are desirable as far as safety performance is not undermined and consistency is reasonably maintained.

This document does not necessarily reflect the view of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

This document shall be read in conjunction with other documents forming the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network.

The contents of this document are structured in the following wording:

• “Shall” and “shall not” give mandatory requirements
• “Should” and “should not” give recommendations which are expected to be adopted unless there is a strong reason otherwise
• “May” and “need not” indicate potentially desirable options depending on circumstances

Asian Highway network member countries shall make every effort to comply with the design standards and are encouraged to give thorough consideration in adopting the recommendations given in the related design guidelines.

Member countries are encouraged to ensure that new roads of the Asian Highway network are 3-star or better (based on star ratings of the International Road Assessment Programme) for all road users and that more than 75 per cent of travel on existing roads is 3-star or better for all road users.

Member countries shall undertake road safety audit for road improvement projects in the Asian Highway network. Member countries shall also conduct road safety inspection (also known as road safety audit in some countries) for designated Asian Highway routes, within a reasonable time frame and at regular intervals, in accordance with practices in the respective countries.

Road safety infrastructure facilities shall be provided in the network with the view of optimized provision and consistency. The need for adequate flexibility is acknowledged given the existing road conditions and diverse circumstances among member countries.

Adequate attention should be given to the integration of road safety infrastructure facilities with streetscape design and the landscape as well as mitigation of any adverse impacts on the environment. Countries shall take advantage of the following road improvement projects and activities to elevate road safety in the Asian Highway network:

• Online road improvement or upgrading projects
• New bypass projects
• New addition of roads to the Asian Highway network
• Dedicated road safety improvement projects
• Routine maintenance activities

Where design speed or speed limit are quoted as criteria, due consideration should be given to the actual operating speeds of traffic.

The terms “nearside” and “offside” refer to the right side and left side respectively in the direction of travel where driving is on the right side of aroad. They refer to the left side and right side respectively in the direction of travel where driving is on the left side of a road. Nearside and offside are equivalent to passenger side and driver side respectively.

It is at the liberty of member countries and other bodies to make use of this document for roads other than Asian Highway routes.

Road safety is a sustainable development issue that needs greater attention as road traffic fatalities and injuries place a significant burden on national economies. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 58% of the global road traffic deaths in 2013. Between 2010 and 2013, while 16 Asian Highway member countries were successful in reducing road fatalities, others failed to do so. The seventh Goal of the “updated Regional Road Safety Goals and Targets for Asia and the Pacific, 2016-2020” emphasizes on developing the Asian Highway network as a model of road safety.

Studies show a strong correlation between infrastructure design and road safety and road engineering and design can influence the severity of the crashes. In this regard, the Annex II to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network which entered in to force on 4 July 2005 includes design standards for the Asian Highway Network. However, the design standard does not provide adequate guidance on road infrastructure safety facilities.

As one of the initiatives to address the road safety problem on the Asian Highway Network, the ESCAP secretariat, in association with the Korea Expressway Corporation conducted a study on the development of technical standards on road infrastructure safety facilities for the Asian Highway Network. A detailed literature review on existing standards for infrastructure element design and specification to address road safety in the Asian Highway member countries and other international sources was conducted. A list of 36 road infrastructure safety facilities was prepared. Detailed information on road infrastructure safety practices was collected from five participating countries. A survey was conducted to assess the prevalence, types and design standards of road safety facilities in the Asian Highway member countries in end 2015. The international road assessment programme (iRAP) methodology was used to illustrate how relative risk levels would change if road infrastructure safety facilities were added to the existing Asian Highway standard. It could be concluded that there is potential to promote the use of a broader range of road infrastructure safety facilities for the Asian Highway Network.

The study suggested that the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network provides an adequate institutional platform for providing guidance to member countries in a number of areas and could further be used for promoting a coordinated approach to the development and adoption of standards of road infrastructure safety facilities. The study emphasizes on providing guidance to the Asian Highway member countries through a dedicated new annex to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network. In this regard, proposed mandatory minimum design standards of road infrastructure safety facilities for the Asian Highway Network which could serve as a draft Annex II bis “Asian Highway Design Standards for Road safety” to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network; and related design guidelines of road infrastructure safety facilities which could serve as a recommended practice for the Asian Highway Network have been developed. The study recommended the Asian Highway member countries to consider adopting and implementing technical design standards of road infrastructure safety facilities towards improving road safety on the Asian Highway Network.

Each year, 1.25 million people die as a result of road traffic crashes and as many as 50 million people are injured. They are the leading cause of death among people aged 15-29 years. Nearly half (49%) of the people who die on the world’s roads are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. In addition to the grief and suffering they cause, road traffic crashes constitute an important public health and development problem with significant health and socioeconomic costs. Much is known about preventing road traffic deaths and injuries. Based on this knowledge, a road safety technical package has been developed to support decision-makers and practitioners in their efforts towards reducing road traffic deaths and injuries and achieving the Sustainable Development Goal targets 3.6 and 11.2.

Save LIVES: a road safety technical package is an evidence-based inventory of priority interventions with a focus on Speed management, Leadership, Infrastructure design and improvement, Vehicle safety standards, Enforcement of traffic laws and post-crash Survival. The 6 strategies and 22 interventions recommended in the package are interrelated and should be implemented in an integrated manner to effectively address road traffic deaths and injuries. Since countries are at varying stages of addressing this problem, this road safety policy package should not be seen as a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather as a guide to support decisions for scaling up road safety efforts.