Adapting the Road Safety Audit Review for Local Rural Roads (MPC ...

• Recognize and anticipate the degree of legal risk inherent in all of an agency’ssystem responsibilities and programs, procedures, or actions;• Ensure that available resources are used in a manner that assures maximumreduction of risk and prevention of loss while accomplishing the mission ofthe agency;• Prepare a timely, defensive response for actual or threatened legal actions; and• Manage claims to result in proper resolution while achieving economy andfairness to the agency and therefore the public.The manner in which a risk management program addresses safety improvementissues is through preventive maintenance. Essential aspects of an effective riskmanagement program are employee training and education, good record keeping, andproper insurance. Other important elements of a successful risk management program areroutine inspections, provisions for emergency maintenance, design and operational2, 5, 13reviews, and a crash record review.As with the HSIP and the SMS, risk management programs require resources thatoften are not available to local government agencies. Therefore, most local governmentagencies have not adopted comprehensive risk management systems.2.2.5. Road Safety AuditsThe road safety audit (RSA) has been defined as a formal examination of anexisting or future road or traffic project, or any project which interacts with road users, inwhich an independent, qualified examiner reports on the project’s crash potential and1, 2, 4, 6safety performance.38