Subjectivity in Road Safety and Traffic Engineering

Abstract

Introduction This paper discusses subjectivity in road design guidelines, and examples of it within practice from the perspective of a professional road safety auditor. Background Subjectivity was alluded to when linking crash interventions and contributing factors within a recent study (Doecke et al, 2020). This paper acknowledged that subjectivity was present even amongst a panel of experts advising on a link derived from an ‘evidence base’. This inspired an examination of subjectivity within road safety and traffic engineering, how it is discussed in common road guidelines, and how it manifests within a practitioner’s assessment.