Road safety best practice
93% of the world's fatalities on the roads occur in low- and middle-income countries, even though these countries have only around 60% of the world's vehicles. TRL has been a key supplier to the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) for over 40 years. We have delivered hundreds of aid-funded projects, resulting in significant societal benefit to low and middle income countries. These include the guidance manual ‘Towards Safer Roads in Developing Countries’, which was published in 1991 and is still used by practitioners in many African countries today.
To support DFID in achieving its objective to promote sustainable development and reduce poverty in Africa and Asia, TRL developed a series of practical guides called Overseas Road Notes. The Notes outline institutional management responsibilities and activities, provide basic information on the need for improvement and recommend practical solutions. Although the Notes were developed in the 1980s and 1990s, they remain relevant and are in active use today.
Rural and low volume roads
Our team is currently delivering impactful solutions in the Rural Roads sector as part of the DFID ReCAP programme. Projects include First Mile (evaluating the cost-beneficial improvement of first mile access on small scale farming and agricultural marketing) and IMPARTS (Interactions: Maintenance Provision of Access for Rural Transport Services.)
We have also undertaken extensive research and development work in Mozambique, funded through the World Bank. This has led to the production of a suite of manuals covering the design, construction and maintenance of low volume roads (LVRs). Using the manuals, Mozambique has significantly reduced the cost of LVR provision through the innovative use of poor or unconventional materials. In some cases, the cost has reduced by more than 30%.
Infrastructure planning
To support the African Development Bank in achieving its goals for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, TRL developed three road safety engineering manuals tailored to African conditions. These will guide road infrastructure safety practices in Africa over the next decade. The manuals include: New Roads and Schemes: Road Safety Audit; Existing Roads: Proactive Approaches; and Existing Roads: Reactive Approaches. They are designed to enable African countries to consider and manage road infrastructure safety thoroughly at every stage.
African Development Bank Road Safety Engineering Manuals
