 Have you ever watched one of those television crime dramas like CSI, Law and Order or The Closer, where a team of experts go over a crime scene with a fine toothed comb finding the most minute pieces of evidence to reveal exactly what happened and why? That's exactly what a road safety audit does. A team of professionals are brought in to figure out exactly why a particular stretch of road or an intersection is so dangerous. And just like on CSI, the RSA team is comprised of individuals who each have a particular area of expertise. People like policemen, firemen and other first responders, even psychologists, cyclists and pedestrians play a key role. RSAs put the right teams in place to solve safety problems on existing and new roads or intersections. Here's an example of an actual RSA. Pulling together a workshop in Chester, Virginia, just south of Richmond several years ago, we were looking at an intersection that had several challenges, but they were not exactly what we expected. In actual fact, this location was in real need of being studied because the site had experienced an increase in accidents. However, it was assumed that the crashes were occurring at an intersection which was home to three service stations, one each on three of the four corners. In fact, an access road had been built in order to provide a way to get to one of the stations, changing the complexion of the intersection entirely. This was thought to be part of the problem. Upon visiting the site, however, the RSA team discovered several safety issues causing side swipe and rear-end crashes at a different location along the highway. One of the factors contributing to this increase was the location of a retirement community down Millhorn Road. Such crash data is not typically available to RSA teams, but thanks to the policemen who was on the team, they discovered that the majority of the crashes were occurring between 6 and 10 p.m. among older drivers. The older drivers were having difficulty adjusting their vision between the well-lit intersection and the much darker stretch of roadway leading to their turnoff on Millhorn Road. In addition, Millhorn posed problems in itself. First, there was a steep drop or ditch along the shoulder near the turnoff. When the RSA team arrived to survey the site, they noticed that the ditch had been filled with cement blocks and that the stop sign was set far below the standard height for proper viewing by drivers. By questioning residents in the area, they discovered that a gentleman who lived on the corner had placed the blocks in the ditch because he was concerned that drivers would actually fall in. They also discovered that each time the stop sign on the corner of Millhorn and Jefferson was knocked over, this same good Samaritan would place it back in the ground using wooden posts he'd purchased from a local hardware store. As a result, the stop sign kept getting shorter and shorter and therefore harder to see. As a result of this RSA, a number of safety precautions and improvements were put in place at the site. First, the roadway before the stop sign on Millhorn was paved, eliminating the danger of the ditch. Second, a dedicated right-hand turn lane was constructed, including the placement of both a right-hand turn sign and a stop-ahead sign warning drivers of the upcoming turn. Finally, an overhead street light was placed near the turnoff to increase lighting in the area. Simple, low-cost solutions that significantly improved the safety of motorists in Chester, Virginia. That's the beauty of RSAs. A multi-disciplinary approach with independent team members are able to find enhancements for safety on roadways. For more information on the RSA process, contact the Federal Highway Administration and Highways for Life or visit their websites.