Road safety benchmarking in Dutch municipalities Comparing - PDF document

What is benchmarking? Road safety benchmarking in Dutch municipalities Comparing Learning Improving Charlotte Bax Porto – 26/10/2018 Camp, 1989; Kozak, 2004; Moriarty & Smallman, 2009; Korsten et al., 2013 Benchmarks: technical or not? Existing benchmarks in the Netherlands More technical benchmark: One ranking for multiple items Techniques (for example data envelopment analysis) -> specialists Results are scientifically sound, but not easy to understand by laymen Less technical benchmark: Separate rankings for each item No techniques, simple comparison -> commitment Results are easy to understand, but not scientific

380 municipalities in the Netherlands Road Safety benchmarks worldwide (not complete!) municipalities own most roads DaCoTA/SUNflower: Road Safety Index non-binding Network of Employers for Traffic Safety Benchmark guidelines for ITF: Benchmark Road Safety Latin America infrastructure ITF: Safer City Streets Work from IMOB/Hasselt University (Hermans, Chen etc) most crashes on PIN reports from ETSC municipal roads Ideal: benchmark = Reality: Theoretical framework benchmark interactive process Focus on numbers killed/injured and SPI’s Test 9 municipalities: Each layer specified in measurable items Local data collection Interactive sessions Science based: only items in SPI layer = Disaster: Items chosen with relevance for Hardly any data available municipalities Benchmark process No time, limited motivation Koornstra et al., 2002 and LTSA, 2000

And so that’s what we did: Wow, what now? Learning from others Web based tool, freely available for all Using existing data Four most succesfull municipal benchmarks in the Netherlands*: Indicating what data we lack -> starting point for more data collection? Compulsory data collection for municipalities -> no way Cooperation whith NGO’s to extend available data Use of existing data files -> possible but limited Dutch Cyclists’ Union -> data on bike infrastructure Initiated by municipalities -> keep them involved Dutch Traffic Safety Association -> data on citizens’ complaints on road safety Freely available -> yes * Based on document analysis in 13 benchmarks in the Netherlands and several stakeholder interviews Take a look: www.verkeersveiligheidsvergelijker.n l Works best on desk top laptop and tablet, not so good on mobile phone …. It’s in Dutch, but Google Chrome/Translate is your friend

After the launch Lessons learned Usability testing with municipalities / stake holders Real lack of data on municipal level Lots of media attention Benchmark is abstract for many municipalities First month: 4000 visits, later 200 p/month Benchmark stirred things up -> attention from press, politicians and advocacy groups Next year: Attention fades easily and quickly More data (on policy input/output) Cooperation with more organisations So, is benchmarking possible with this tool? Questionable. More constant visits

Thank Take a look! www.verkeersveiligheidsvergelijker.n you! l charlotte.bax@swov.nl