ROADSCOR

As cities grow and transportation evolves, ensuring safety has become a critical challenge. Vulnerable road users are particularly at risk, emphasising the need for innovative solutions in road design. A safe infrastructure is fundamental to achieving Vision Zero goals: a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2030 and 100% reduction by 2050.  

Making informed, data-driven, qualitative decisions is imperative. Where current tools are based on crash data and video-analytics of near-misses, the ROADSCOR (Road Optimisation Analysis for Design Safety by Conflict Review) methodology enhances safety by being able to look forward and identify critical scenarios according to ISO21448. The methodology complements existing tools by providing insights into high-risk traffic conflicts in a structured and reproducible manner, quantifying safety and allowing evaluation of measures and modifications before implementation. An initial assessment demonstrated socio-economic cost savings up to $10,000,000, including $600,000 direct cost to road authorities, for a single intersection. 

The purpose of the project is to take the solution as a service to technology readiness level (TRL) 9 by reference cases, including defining the safety: the Roadscor. The results are also the basis of the development towards a Software as a Service (SaaS) product to enable worldwide accessibility and ease-of-use to traffic engineers. With the methodology originally developed for the safe introduction of autonomous vehicles, the project facilitates the first cases from the perspective of traffic engineers. Roadscor assessments will be conducted for intersections in Hasselt, Belgium; Rome, Italy; and the Province of Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands; in cooperation with Siemens, Aimsun, Royal HaskoningDHV and FIA. 

Safe road design is one of the fundamental elements contributing to reducing road crashes. Roadscor supports this by providing accessible and objective safety data. This helps traffic engineers create safer roads that align with city planning goals.