Introduction
Delivering Road Safety Audits for the A361 North Devon Link Road
Overview of the Road Safety Audits we carried out
TMS Consultancy has been involved in the A361 North Devon Link Road highway improvement scheme since June 2023, delivering both Stage 2 Detailed Design Road Safety Audits and Stage 3 Post-Construction Road Safety Audits.
Introduction
The A361 North Devon Link Road connects North Devon and North Cornwall to the M5 motorway and the rest of the UK, acting as a crucial economic lifeline. Key objectives of the project include enhancing road safety, increasing traffic capacity, supporting regional economic growth and improving journey time reliability. The scheme focused on upgrading a 10-mile section of the route between South Molton and Barnstaple.
The works included the construction of new 2+1 wide single carriageway sections, a new grade-separated junction, two new roundabouts, improvements to existing priority junctions, and the creation of new pedestrian and cycle routes.
During the phased design and construction periods, TMS carried out over 20 Road Safety Audits. Our engineers undertook detailed inspections and assessments covering a wide range of safety-critical elements, some of which are highlighted below.
Safety-Critical Elements
Roadside features such as embankments, cutting slopes, drainage ditches and headwalls, to reduce the risk of vehicle rollover incidents. Rigid and heavy-duty items within verges, including signposts, lighting columns, trees, dense vegetation and telecommunications equipment, to minimise the risk of high-severity impact injuries.
Road Restraint Systems, ensuring they were correctly specified, located and installed to safely contain vehicles and redirect them away from roadside hazards.
Boundary fencing design, to reduce the risk of “spearing-type” injuries.
Signs, road markings and reflective studs, to ensure they were clearly visible, legible and correctly positioned to support safe driver navigation.
Street lighting provision, with particular focus on achieving appropriate uniformity at conflict points such as junctions and pedestrian crossing locations.
Skid resistance of the road surface, especially on approaches to bends, junctions and other higher-risk areas.
Visibility splays and stopping sight distances, ensuring compliance with design standards and suitability for the operating environment.
Pedestrian and cycle routes, reviewing surfacing, signing and lining to ensure safe and intuitive use.
What Our Road Safety Auditors Said
TMS engineers involved in the project, Hammy Aulak, Richard Marriott and Mike Fuller, commented:
“We were delighted to be involved in this significant infrastructure project. Our role allowed us to apply our expertise to help deliver a safer road for all users, while also enabling us to build on our knowledge of emerging technologies and best practice associated with large-scale highway schemes.”
A few more Road Safety Audits are planned to complete outstanding remedial works on certain project elements, with completion expected in early 2026.
Conclusion
Road Safety Audits remain a critical component of the highway design and delivery process, ensuring that schemes are safe, compliant and fit for purpose before opening to traffic. As demonstrated through this project, a structured audit undertaken in line with GG 119 enables potential safety risks to be identified early, supporting informed decision-making and helping designers, developers and highway authorities meet their statutory obligations.
For housebuilders, civil engineering consultancies and transport planners, engaging an experienced audit team adds value beyond compliance alone. Independent review, clear recommendations and a collaborative approach help reduce risk, minimise costly design changes later in the programme and contribute to safer outcomes for all road users.
If you would like to understand how a Road Safety Audit could support your scheme — whether at feasibility, detailed design or post-construction stage
Do you need a Road Safety Audit for your highway scheme? Whether local or nationwide, please call us on +44 (0)24 7669 0900 or please email Lorna Styring . Alternatively, you can request a quote using the link below.
FAQ's
Let us help answer some of the most common questions we receive
What is a Road Safety Audit?
A Road Safety Audit is a systematic process for checking the road safety implications of highway improvements and new road schemes. The objective of the process is to minimise future road collision occurrence and severity once the scheme has been built and the road comes into use.
The audit takes into account all road users, particularly vulnerable users such as pedestrians and pedal cyclists. Having identified potential road safety problems, the audit then makes practical recommendations for improvement.
With these safety objectives in mind, the auditors need to ask the question “Who can be hurt here, and in what way?”
Why is auditor independence important in a Road Safety Audit?
Independence ensures the audit is objective and free from design bias, providing unbiased safety recommendations that highway authorities and developers can trust. Independent audit teams are a key requirement in GG 119, find out how we ensure our audit teams independence at TMS.
What happens after a Road Safety Audit is completed?
Following the audit, the design team prepares a formal response, often called a Designers Response, to each recommendation, outlining how issues will be addressed or providing justification where recommendations are not accepted. This audit response process ensures transparency and accountability.