Analysis of road safety audits conducted in 2024–2025

Abstract

The road safety policy of Lithuania and the European Union is based on a shift from a reactive approach, when decisions are made based on the analysis of historical traffic accidents, to a proactive application of the principles of a safe system. This direction was strengthened by the 2019 update of Directive 2008/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, which expanded the scope of application of mandatory road infrastructure safety management procedures, covering not only the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) roads, but also motorways and other major roads. The provisions of the directive have been transposed into Lithuanian legislation, and the amendments to the road safety audit procedure that entered into force in 2022 have established additional requirements for auditors and expanded the scope of the audit to all state and local roads and streets intended for public traffic. The study analyses 47 road safety audits carried out by the VILNIUS TECH Road Research Institute in 2024–2025. 519 road infrastructure safety problems were identified, with an average of 11.04 problems per audit. Most audits (87%) were carried out at the project preparation stage, and 13% – before the road was put into operation. According to the degree of importance, 45% of the problems were classified as medium, 24% – high, 31% – low. The most frequently identified problems were related to road signs and vertical markings (9.09%). When assessing the safety of vulnerable road users, a significant part was accounted for by pedestrian infrastructure problems: inappropriate tactile indicator schemes (5.41%), absence of tactile indicators (4.42%) and inconsistencies in the geometry of pedestrian crossings (3.44%). The results confirm the need to strengthen the control of design solutions and ensure consistent application of regulatory requirements in road infrastructure projects.