Road Safety Audits

A Road Safety Audit (RSA) is a tool with which the safety performance, design, and operation of a road is examined by an independent, multidisciplinary team of professionals. Road Safety Audits are not an engineering-level study of a roadway.

Road Safety Audit RSA Responsibilities

RSAs are considered a proven safety countermeasure by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). According to the FHWA, RSA safety benefits include a 10-60 percent reduction in total crashes.1 In addition, the following benefits provided by RSAs include:

  • Reduced number and severity of crashes due to safer designs.
  • Reduced costs resulting from early identification and mitigation of safety issues before projects are built.
  • Increased opportunities to integrate multimodal safety strategies and proven safety countermeasures.
  • Expanded ability to consider human factors in all facets of design.
  • Increased communication and collaboration among safety stakeholders.
  • Objective review by an independent, multidisciplinary team.

MRMPO Staff have been trained by FHWA staff to complete RSA’s and we are available to assist our member agencies. Most recently, at the request of the City of Albuquerque, MRMPO partnered with FHWA to perform an RSA of Lead and Coal Avenues between Broadway Blvd. and Washington Street. 

View the report.

1 Road Safety Audits: An Evaluation of RSA Programs and Projects, FHWA-SA-12-037; and FHWA Road Safety Audit Guidelines, FHWA-SA-06-06.