New star-rating system for international road safety

An RMIT University researcher has produced a practical and innovative star-rating system for international road safety that will ultimately help to make roads safer.

The International Road Policing Assessment program (IRPAP) will enable traffic police jurisdictions to self-assess and continually improve their capacity for road safety reform.

Dr Raymond Shuey examined how road policing and traffic law enforcement in low- to middle-income countries - including Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Loa PDR, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam - compared with good practice internationally.

Dr Shuey said there have previously been no international benchmarking criteria, star-rating systems or models for road policing and traffic law enforcement.

“The newly developed program provides road policing organisations in any country with a practical means of assessing their current police enforcement capability, including efficiency, effectiveness and safety,” he said.

“Using the IRPAP star-rating model, jurisdictions can benchmark their capability against an international standard - with the grading within the model determining improvements for building capacity and capability.”

The research complements two international road safety benchmarking models already in place: iRAP - the International Road Assessment Program, five star ratings for safer roads; and NCAP - the New Car Assessment Program, five star ratings for safer cars.

“IRPAP aims to provide a practical benchmarking self-assessment tool and, by developing and enhancing police professionalism and leadership with strategic, operational and tactical capability, the ultimate aim is to prevent death and injuries,” he said.

The new star-rating system has allowed Dr Shuey to make a meaningful contribution to international road policing, exchange practical policing experiences across borders and use the knowledge gained to directly assist road police.

“The mission of all traffic police organisations is to save lives on our roads and, by using the IRPAP manual I’ve developed, which is simple to follow and logical in its approach, traffic police can use it for better and more effective road policing and road safety around the world,” he said.