Urban Road Safety Assessment Methodologies: A Systematic Review

Proactive road safety assessment methodologies can be carried out before a crash occurs, which is better than the traditional approach of waiting for crashes to happen before assessments are performed. Most existing proactive assessment methodologies measure the safety performance of motorways and rural roads, and very little is known about the safety assessments of urban roads. Following the increase in motorization in urban areas, road traffic fatalities and serious injuries are fast escalating in urban environments. Because crash data for urban roads are often under-reported, reactive methodologies are not an option for these networks, therefore proactive methods are preferred. In this regard, this study seeks to identify and examine the existing proactive safety assessment methodologies currently applied for the safety analysis of urban road infrastructures. To investigate this, a systematic review was carried out following the principles and guidelines provided by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2020 checklist. The searching and screening process produced 10 existing proactive safety assessment methodologies for urban road networks. Also, the review reveals that in the urban context, much attention is given to the safety of vulnerable road users (VRUs) who are the most unsafe in such complex environments. The study is useful for road safety researchers designing strategies for the safety of urban road infrastructures as well as road safety engineers monitoring the safety performance of urban roads.