#76 Network Safety Plan (pt 3.4)

Our last three briefs have looked at core NSP components, including the Safe System approach (#73), Movement and Place (#74) and Self-explaining roads (#75). The fourth and final entry in the Network Safety Plan (NSP) short series looks briefly at risk assessment methods and approaches. Seven stages of risk assessment and management are identified in the relevant Australian Standard (AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018):

• communicate and consult

• establish the context

• identify risks

• analyse risks

• evaluate risks

• treat risks

• monitor and review.

  
  

The principles of risk management are also presented conceptually in the Standard, as reproduced in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Principles of risk management (source: Austroads, 2026)

Risk assessment tools and NSP

The Austroads Guide to Road Safety Part 7[1] (AGRS pt7) clearly summarises the critical relationship between NSP and road safety risk assessment:

Developing an NSP involves identifying the key risk factors associated with a road network, which can include high-risk road user groups, high-risk locations, and high-risk crash types. Based on this risk assessment, the plan will identify strategies to mitigate the identified risks (p.69).

Outlining key NSP concepts, Austroads’ suggested definition for “road safety risk assessment” describes it as:

Road safety risk forecasting and assessment methodologies to identify, quantify and compare systemic road safety risk for all road user types across the system (p.70).

At least several tools or methods may be used for such assessment, including the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP)[2] and the Australian National Risk Assessment Model (ANRAM). The basic approaches are somewhat similar and are based on data for road infrastructure, speed, traffic flow and crash history (where available). Of course, risk assessment and other statistical models are only as good as their data inputs. The AGRS pt7 focuses largely on AusRAP, but notes that ANRAM may be particularly useful where there is a lack of historical crash data (i.e., for modelling predictive crash numbers based on identified risks). Whichever methods are used, the outcomes of assessment should be shared with relevant stakeholders to foster collaboration and a “unified strategy”.

The AusRAP tool identifies high-risk roads beyond just blackspots or isolated hazards, assessing road safety through risk mapping, star ratings, and performance monitoring. According to Austroads:

 AusRAP goes beyond mere crash data by examining road attributes, traffic intensity, and other relevant risk elements, with a prime focus on the infrastructure. Such comprehensive insights inform infrastructure enhancements, from safety barriers to improved signage, aid in creating focused policies, and direct budget allotments for maximum safety benefit (p.43).

Austroads also notes that AusRAP, through alignment with iRAP, helps to provide an Australian reference point relative to global standards, which can support recognition and integration of best practice internationally.

While AusRAP and ANRAM provide robust and well-established frameworks for road safety risk assessment, applying these approaches across an entire local road network can require significant time, resources, and detailed data collection. To help bridge this gap, Road Solutions has developed a network-wide risk assessment model that provides a practical way to estimate road safety risk across the whole network at a fraction of the cost and time. This gives local governments a clearer picture of network-wide risk, helping them identify priorities, inform road safety strategies, and develop network safety plans with greater confidence.

[1] Austroads (2026). Guide to Road Safety Part 7: Road Safety Strategy and Management. AGRS07-26. Sydney, Austroads. https://austroads.gov.au/publications/road-safety/agrs07

[2] AusRAP aligns with the geographically broader International Road Assessment Program (iRAP)