Abstract:
The design of roads plays a significant role in road safety outcomes. Typically, road safety
is considered as just one of many considerations in road design and is often not prioritised.
The study aimed to assess the relationship between existing and ideal road design and
traffic environment, and the frequency of Fatal and Serious Injury (FSI) road crashes in the
Namibian context. The assessment (sensitivity analysis) was carried out using developed
context-specific Generalised Poisson Crash Prediction Models (GP-CPMs). The results
from the sensitivity analysis were concerning, as they indicated that despite the application
of standard-compliant design parameters in the crash models, several model covariates
demonstrated pronounced combinational effects detrimental to the safety of the road
system. The results indicate how important it is to re-assess the relevance of
“international” design guidelines, to ensure their relevance in a local road environment and
also to the behavioural characteristics of road users.
