Skip to main content

TRL to evaluate road safety performance in the Sultanate of Oman

The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has been commissioned by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) to undertake a study covering all aspects of road safety within the Sultanate of Oman. TRL’s team of experts will conduct a high level multi-sector assessment of existing road safety activity in the Sultanate. The review will evaluate the Sultanate’s road safety performance, comparing existing activities against best practice across twelve different disciplines including road safety management, safety engineeri
December 4, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (491 TRL) has been commissioned by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) to undertake a study covering all aspects of road safety within the Sultanate of Oman. TRL’s team of experts will conduct a high level multi-sector assessment of existing road safety activity in the Sultanate. The review will evaluate the Sultanate’s road safety performance, comparing existing activities against best practice across twelve different disciplines including road safety management, safety engineering, legislation and enforcement, education and awareness and post-crash response.

Following the multi-disciplinary review, TRL will develop an action plan that provides practical, realistic solutions aimed at building the Sultanate’s capacity to improve the road safety situation. The action plan will be designed in accordance with the principles of the Safe System, using short to medium-term recommendations that bring about appropriate incremental enhancements in performance.

This study complements an existing project in Oman, where TRL is designing a comprehensive crash database and installing its unique iMAAP network based crash analysis system, working on behalf of the Research Council and in collaboration with ROP.

TRL’s safety director, Tracy Savill says: “We are delighted to be cementing our relationship with the Royal Oman Police and other stakeholders across the Sultanate, assisting in bringing about an enhanced shared responsibility to tackling the road safety problems of Oman.

“We hope that the project will result in the implementation of a series of evidence based recommendations that will stabilise and reduce the high number of road deaths in the country.”

Lieutenant Colonel Amour Sultan Al Touqi of the Royal Oman Police public relations department says: “ROP has been honoured to collaborate with TRL in order to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the current status of traffic safety in the Sultanate in the hope to come up with suitable recommendations and implement them on the ground”.

Safe System is a road transport system that is designed to compensate for human error by helping to ensure that road users are not subject to crash forces that result in fatal or serious injuries.

The Safe System refers to the roles and responsibilities that all system users (e.g. drivers) and designers (e.g. policy makers) play and has been developed around three cornerstones:  ‘Safe Roads’, ‘Safe Speeds’ and ‘Safe Vehicles’. A fourth cornerstone, Road Users has recently been added to this to recognise the importance of designing competent and compliant road users.

The Safe System is supported by effective management of road safety at the highest level to improve performance and to ensure that initiatives are focussed on achieving results. Finally, the Safe System must be supported by an effective mechanism for post-crash response that minimises the severity of the outcome from injuries received and facilitates fast and comprehensive rehabilitation for road crash victims.

The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 recommends that every country works towards the implementation of a Safe System.

Related Content

  • May 31, 2023
    How WiM helps authorities identify repeat offenders
    Company profiling – the process of identifying repeat corporate offenders when it comes to things like truck overloading – is one of many uses of WiM. And it may become more important
  • May 10, 2017
    3M reflect on why CAVs need lines and signs
    Tammy Meehan and Thomas Hedblom of 3M consider the ongoing development of technology needed to introduce connected and autonomous vehicles. The transportation industry is in the midst of the most dramatic shift since Henry Ford introduced horseless carriages. Already we are seeing the increased use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which, along with the introduction of autonomous vehicles in the next few decades, will bring profound changes to vehicles and the environment in which they operate.
  • March 1, 2013
    Bringing enforcement standards into line
    Difficulties with the apparent accuracy of enforcement systems have been making the headlines in the United States over recent months. Jon Masters investigates the causes and possible cures. Online newspaper reports in the United States over recent months have painted a picture of the authorities struggling to keep on top of their speed and red light enforcement pro­grammes. Among a host of stories put out by the Washington Post and others on the subject of speed cameras during January, there were reports
  • May 23, 2024
    RoadPeace traffic safety fundraising challenge beats target
    Supporters collectively walked and cycled nearly 10 times further than 1,766-mile goal