Using behavioural measures to evaluate route safety schemes: detailed guidance for practitioners

This report is intended as a resource which can be used by local authorities as guidance on the use of behavioural measures in the evaluation of route safety schemes.

It was commissioned by ADEPT and comes with a summary guidance paper.

There are various advantages to using behaviours as outcome evaluation metrics in route safety schemes. These include the length of time over which data can be collected being shorter than the three years normally used for the collection of accident data, and the fact that changes in behaviours targeted by route safety schemes can be used as an early warning system to check that the scheme is likely (or not) to have the desired impact on accidents over the long term.

In this report, the case for carrying out appropriate evaluation of route safety schemes is made.

The behaviours that are known to be related to collision risk and should be measurable in route safety settings are identified, along with methods by which they can be measured.

In addition, guidance on evaluation study design is given, including advice on sample sizes and the use of appropriate control groups. Finally, examples of good practice that illustrate some of the key points made in the report are given, and additional resources to help road safety professionals plan evaluations are referenced.