Skip to main content

TRL wins eighth prestigious international road safety award

The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has received its eighth Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its work in improving road worker safety. The Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards recognise achievements in road safety and are presented to the most outstanding road safety initiatives across the world. TRL won the prestigious award for its research underpinning off side signs removal (OSSR), a signing technique for road works which has enabled elimination of live carriage
December 15, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (491 TRL) has received its eighth Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its work in improving road worker safety.

The Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards recognise achievements in road safety and are presented to the most outstanding road safety initiatives across the world. TRL won the prestigious award for its research underpinning off side signs removal (OSSR), a signing technique for road works which has enabled elimination of live carriageway crossings by road workers.

The project, delivered in close collaboration with 8101 Highways England and the Road Workers’ Safety Forum (RoWSaF), sought to understand the implications of removing central reservation traffic management signs on road user safety. The research programme, technically led by TRL, consisted of a series of simulator and on-road trials which proved that road user safety was unaffected when signs were only installed on the nearside verge.

The research culminated in the release of Interim Advice Note 150/15 in September 2015 by Highways England, allowing omission of all central reservation signing at short-term road works on two, three or four lane dual carriageway roads. As a result, Highways England has been able to reduce the number of carriageway crossings undertaken each year from 3.7 million to effectively zero.

The award was presented to TRL, Highways England and RoWSaF by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent at an award ceremony at The Savoy in London on the 8th December. Presenting the award, Prince Michael said: “Your commitment and ingenuity deserve the highest praise.”           

Rob Wallis, chief executive at TRL, added: “We’re truly honoured to have received such a prestigious award. The OSSR project has helped to deliver what is recognised as one of the biggest single improvements in road worker safety in the last decade – zero carriageway crossings. This shows the determination and drive we continue to put into saving lives and improving road safety for all.”

The top accolade, the Premier Award, was presented to 1466 Transport for London (TfL) for its CLOCS (Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety) programme, which aims to revolutionise the management of work-related road risk and ensure a road safety culture is embedded across the construction industry. The programme was developed following publication of TRL’s independent report of the construction sector’s transport activities in relation to cyclist fatalities, which was published in 2013.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Highways England trials electric roadworks vehicles
    July 2, 2019
    Highways England is trialling two electric powered roadworks vehicles with the aim of improving air quality along motorways and major A roads. One vehicle is being used across the East Midlands and the other on a major scheme on the A14 in the east of England. Martin Bolt, Highways England’s corporate group leader, operations directorate (Midlands) says: “We are actively exploring opportunities to improve air quality for those travelling on, or living near, our roads as well as reduce exposure for road wo
  • PTV Group retains TfL modelling software contract
    October 8, 2015
    PTV Group has been appointed as one of the framework contractors for three years to provide tactical and microsimulation operational modelling software to Transport for London (TfL). TfL uses PTV Visum operational software for the development of the Operational Network Evaluation (ONE) model, a tactical highway assignment model for London, said to be the largest of its type in the world. An earlier version of the ONE model, covering the central London road network, was successfully used for the operatio
  • Highways England awards NRTS contract to Telent Technology services
    December 19, 2017
    Highways England (HE) has awarded the second National Roads Telecommunications Service (NRTS) contract, valued £450m ($602m), to Telent Technology Services. The project aims to keep road users as safe and informed as possible on the UK's motorways and will run for seven years from March 2018. In addition, this technology will also continue to support the smart motorway and expressway programmes.
  • £10.6m boost for Glasgow sustainable travel
    July 8, 2025
    Initiatives to encourage more walking and cycling will receive funding