Road-safety audit for all big highway projects

NEW DELHI: From now onwards, updated road safety audits will be carried out on all big road projects including national highways (NHs) to make them safer.

As per the recently approved road safety manual by the Indian Road Congress (IRC), experts will carry the safety audit not just during the design and implementation phases of the projects but also in the post operation period to identify deficiencies and rectify them.

Sources in this premier body of technical highway engineers said the IRC council had approved the road safety audit guideline and this would be published in the next two months. "Once that is in place, all major road projects will follow guidelines mentioned in the manual. Even the state public works department (PWD) constructing major roads could use the guidelines to make the stretches safe," said a senior IRC official.