Fundamentals of

SAFETY PLANNING AND DESIGN

COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING FOR DPWH FIELD ENGINEERS

Bureau of Quality and Safety

February 11, 2019

Introduction

Three (3) key elements in

improving Road Safety:

The three E’s of Road Safety

• Education
• Enforcement
• Engineering

YOU CAN SAVE LIVES!

Introduction

DO No. 41 S2012 – Adoption of

the Revised Manual on DPWH
Highway Safety Design Standards
 Part I:
SAFETY PLANNING
Introduction

What is SAFETY PLANNING?

• The main objectives of safety planning are to:

• Improve the safety performance of roadways

through engineering design and traffic
operations;

• Change roadway user behaviour through

traffic law enforcement and education
programs; and

• Enhance emergency response as it relates to

all public roads.
Introduction

STAGES OF SAFETY PLANNING

I. Identification and layout of LAND USE

II. Clearly defined ARTERIAL ROAD NETWORK
III. Careful control and management of ACCESS
IV. Planning and provision of PUBLIC TRANSPORT
FACILITIES
 Safety Planning Stage I:
LAND USE AND ZONING
I. Land Use & Zoning

• Local Government Units (LGUs) –

responsible for zoning of their respective
jurisdictions (MPDO, CPDO & PPDO).

• Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board

(HLURB) – approval of final land use and
zoning plans submitted by the LGUs.
I. Land Use & Zoning

• Local Government Units (LGUs) –

responsible for zoning of their respective
jurisdictions (MPDO, CPDO & PPDO).

• Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board

(HLURB) – approval of final land use and
zoning plans submitted by the LGUs.
I. Land Use & Zoning

Sample Land Use and Zoning

Plan
I. Land Use & Zoning

What can you observe in the following

pictures?

Picture 1 Picture 2
Bad Zoning and Planning Good Zoning and Planning
Interface Interface
I. Land Use & Zoning

Traffic Planning for Different

Land Uses

• Residential Areas
• Residential roads longer than 100-200 meters
should be meandering and should have tight
horizontal curves.
• Pedestrians must be given priority.
• Direct access to dwellings should be provided
rather than distributor roads.
• Ample and convenient parking areas away
from children’s playing area
• Presence of traffic calming devices such as
humps and rumble strips
I. Land Use & Zoning

Sample: Lakewood City, Cabanatuan

I. Land Use & Zoning

Traffic Planning for Different

Land Uses

• Commercial Areas
• Located away from the through traffic network
• Adequate parking and loading facilities
• On-street parking should be discouraged
• Good public transport provision
• Provision of road humps and raised pedestrian
crossings to protect pedestrians and shoppers
I. Land Use & Zoning

Sample: Tarlac City

I. Land Use & Zoning

Traffic Planning for Different

Land Uses

• Industrial Areas
• Located away from residential and
commercial areas
• Industrial areas shall have direct access from
the distributor road.
• Sufficient off-road parking and loading areas
• Roads and footpaths should be provided for
workers, visitors, and vehicles.
• Effective local traffic management
• Networks of safe cycle/footpaths between the
industrial areas and the areas where
employees live
I. Land Use & Zoning

Sample: Calaca Power Plant, Batangas

I. Land Use & Zoning

Traffic Planning for Different

Land Uses
• Recreational/Tourism Areas
• Direct access from local or distributor roads
• Separated from residential areas
• Adequate provision of public transport
• Pedestrian routes between entrances/parking
areas and venues
• Service areas and facilities segregated from
general traffic
I. Land Use & Zoning

Sample: Burnham Park, Baguio City

 Safety Planning Stage II:
ROAD NETWORK PLANNING
II. Road Network Planning

Road Hierarchy

• Road Network is defined as a hierarchy in terms of

road types and the major function it will serve.
• Expressways/Freeways
• National Roads
- Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
• Provincial Roads
• Municipal/City Roads
• Barangay Roads
II. Road Network Planning

Road Hierarchy
(Mobility vs Access)
II. Road Network Planning

Road Hierarchy

Road Hierarchy is needed…

• Define administrative jurisdictions related to road
design, construction, operation, and maintenance
• For operational safety and efficiency.
• Affects standards to use
• Higher speed and volume → lower speed and volume
• Uninterrupted flow vs interrupted flow
• Defines control of access, right of way, and
intersection traffic control
• In intersection design, intersecting roads should not be
different by more than 1 hierarchy level.
II. Road Network Planning

Sample: Clark Area, Pampanga

II. Road Network Planning

What can you observe in the following

pictures?

Picture 1 Picture 2
Road Network that Road Network that DETERS
ATTRACTS through traffic through traffic from using
from using the local road the local road
II. Road Network Planning

Route Planning

• New Route Numbering System (D.O. 119 series of 2014)

Classification Numbering
Expressways E1, E2, E3, etc.
National Primary Nos. N1 to N49 for the “main”
routes or corridors, i.e. those
connecting 3 or more cities

Nos. N50 to N99 for other

primary routes connecting 2
cities
National Secondary Nos. 100 to 999
II. Road Network Planning

Route Planning

• Objective: to reduce volume of through traffic

inside the community

BY-PASS ROAD
II. Road Network Planning

Route Planning

• BYPASSES are countermeasures aimed at improving

the safety and reducing volumes of through traffic
inside the community.

• Where a bypass is justified through a feasibility study,

the following should be considered:
• Downgrading the old road to a lower hierarchy to
discourage through traffic.
• Access to the bypass road should only be restricted to a
few points where safe intersections and spur roads can be
provided to link to the existing network.
• Provisions should be left for future expansion or
development of the community.
II. Road Network Planning

Route Planning

• Where a bypass road cannot be justified,

• Warning signs and rumble strips
• Series of road humps
• Road narrowing (with due regard for capacity needs)
• Some form of gateway treatment on the approaches
(e.g. substandard curve, tree lining, or even non-rigid
gate structure)
II. Road Network Planning

Sample: Cabanatuan City

II. Road Network Planning

Sample: Cabanatuan City

II. Road Network Planning

Sample: Cabanatuan City

II. Road Network Planning

Sample: Cabanatuan City

 Safety Planning Stage III:
ACCESS MANAGEMENT
III. Access Management

Development
Control/Encroachment
• Strict control of roadside hoardings and
advertisement boards
• Design roads with spare capacity in anticipation of
development growth
• Building regulations should include building line
specifications
• Provide alternative locations for commercial
activities
• Clear sidewalks from illegal vendors, stalls and
prevent re-appearance
III. Access Management

Development
Control/Encroachment
III. Access Management

Access Control

• Provision of elevated pedestrian walkways or

underpasses (D.O. 34, series of 2012)
• Driveways should not lead directly to a high-speed
road.
• Large parking facilities should locate
entrance/exits away from high-speed roads.
• Number of direct access to main roads should be
minimized.
• Service roads or access roads can be used.
• Each class of road should intersect only with roads
in the same class or one immediately above or
below it in the hierarchy.
III. Access Management

Service Road and Segregated

Walkway
III. Access Management

Walkways and Overpass

III. Access Management

Pedestrian Footbridge, EDSA-

Taft
III. Access Management

Pedestrian Footbridge, EDSA-

Congressional
III. Access Management

Helix Footbridge, Singapore

III. Access Management

Speed Management

• Self-enforcing engineering measures

designed to reduce vehicle speeds
• Also called ‘traffic calming’

• Design Speed
When choosing a design speed, the following
factors need to be considered:
• Function of the road
• Anticipated operating speed
• Anticipated speed limit
• Economics
III. Access Management

Speed Management

Research has shown that lower speeds lead to

fewer and less serious crashes.

• 10% reduction in mean speeds will reduce the

number of casualty crashes by 20%, and the
number of fatal crashes by 30%

• Excessive speed is the major cause of about

ONE THIRD of crashes
III. Access Management

Speed Management

Impact Speed vs Pedestrian Fatality

III. Access Management

Speed Management

Typical Stopping Distances

30 km/h

12 metres Thinking Distance

or 3 car lengths
Braking Distance
50 km/h

23 metres
or 6 car lengths

80 km/h
53 metres
or 13 car lengths

100 km/h

73 metres
Average car length = 4 metres or 18 car lengths
III. Access Management

Speed Management

40 km/h 

80 km/h 

105 km/h 
The faster you go, the harder you hit
III. Access Management

Speed Management

Main Principle:

Wide, straight, flat road = FAST

Narrow, bendy, bumpy road = SLOW
III. Access Management

Speed Management

Speed Limits

Source: Republic Act No. 4136, Land Transportation and Traffic Code, Chapter IV Traffic Rules
III. Access Management

Speed Management

• 3.35m = Minimum width per lane

III. Access Management

Speed Management

• Poor Standard Roads

• Adopt lower speed limit
than would normally
apply, until such time
that the road
improvements can be
made.
• The lower speeds
compensate for the
hazardous conditions of
the road.
III. Access Management

Speed Management Tools

Speed Limit Signs

Gateway Speed Limit Signs

III. Access Management

Speed Management Tools

Rumble Strips
III. Access Management

Speed Management Tools

Center Islands
III. Access Management

Bus Overspeeding at Quirino

Highway, Quezon City
III. Access Management

Parking

Limitations

•Not allowed on expressways/freeways

•Not allowed on primary arterials

•On-case basis on secondary arterials

•Parking bans not appropriate for local roads

III. Access Management

Parking Clamping in
Manila
III. Access Management

Towing of Illegaly-Parked
Vehicles
III. Access Management

Lighting

• Factors to consider:
• Evenness and type of illumination
• Location of light poles
• Signs and road markings should be visible at
night
• Use high pressure sodium lighting or metal
halide rather than mercury or tungsten
lighting
• Light up areas with heavy pedestrians
• Regular maintenance of lights
III. Access Management

Lighting
III. Access Management

Lighting
III. Access Management

Lighting
III. Access Management

Lighting
Which alley would you feel safe
to walk?
Safety Planning Stage IV:
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
IV. Public Transport

Public Transport Operations

• Rule of thumb:

• Segregate from private cars (provision

of “yellow lanes”)

• Proper planning on the location of

“loading and unloading” areas
IV. Public Transport

Lay-Bys, Bus Stops, and

Service Roads
• Lay-bys should be positioned on straight, level sections
of road
• Convenient and safe for vehicles and pedestrians
• Advance warning signs for PUVs and commuters
• Adequate queuing and waiting areas for commuters
• Link lay-bys with service roads
• Use concrete pavement
• Bus stops located beyond pedestrian crossings and after
intersections
IV. Public Transport

Bus Stop Concept, EDSA

IV. Public Transport

Lay-By Concept, EDSA

IV. Public Transport

EDSA Guadalupe Bus Stop

IV. Public Transport

EDSA Guadalupe Bus Stop

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS
Vulnerable Road Users

• Pedestrians
• People with disabilities (PWD)
• Non-motorized vehicles
• Motorcycles
Vulnerable Road Users

Good facilities
for pedestrians
Vulnerable Road Users

Not good for

people with
disabilities
What can you observe from
the following pictures?
Thank you!
Any question/s?