‘Safe Roads for All’ is the theme of Road Safety Week 2022, taking place this month. The goal is to raise awareness of what it would take for everyone to feel safe on our road network, whether they’re walking, cycling, on a mobility scooter, driving a car, riding a horse – we all have a right to feel safe and out of harm’s way.
For a transport infrastructure specialist like Octavius ‘Safe Roads for All’ has a broad scope, and it is also engrained in our “Assured and Safe Delivery” key pillar. As an employer we encourage our people to be responsible road users and to use sustainable transport wherever possible.
We also help deliver projects that make a real long-term difference to road safety. These include safe cycling and walking routes and multi-modal transport hubs that make sustainable transport a viable option for many more people.
We also have a novel modular parking solution that can support reduced traffic zones and provide local public charging for EVs within a small footprint low rise car park. By making EV use more viable we’re helping to improve inner city air quality and reduce the carbon emissions that are arguably contributing to the biggest threat we all face.
Working safely
The safety of people working on our road networks also matters. That’s why we invested so much in our STOPThink! cultural development programme that helps keep staying safe and working safely at the front of everyone’s mind.
The programme transformed our safety performance and that of our supply chain partners. It is also being implemented by National Highways for their own teams. Over 2000 of our staff, customers and suppliers have taken part so far.
Major roadworks schemes create their own safety risks. Simple measures like clearer signposting of diversions help to keep motorists focused on their driving and on what other road users are doing.
Breakdowns in roadworks present particular dangers. Octavius has pioneered approaches that get help to stranded motorists quicker and at less overall cost. Initiatives include piloting NavTech radar on the A46 at Binley to automatically detect stranded vehicles within moments.
As we move into the future there’s no doubt that technologies such as AI and machine learning will be increasingly deployed. These will help us understand more about the demands for road space from all users so we can design better networks that keep traffic flowing freely and safely.
Whatever the future holds, you can be certain that Octavius will be at the forefront of any changes and developments. To find out more contact Mike Todd (mike.todd@octaviusinfrastructure.co.uk) or visit our Transport Infrastructure Resource Centre.
