The Public Enterprise "Roads of Serbia" implemented the project "Training in Work Zones", the main goal of which is to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured during work on the state road network in the Republic of Serbia, through:
- Improving traffic signaling and equipment used in road work zones;
- Better education of participants in the process of developing traffic signaling and equipment projects during road work;
- Mitigating the consequences of road accidents and
- Reducing the number of traffic accidents in road work zones.
In addition to the main objectives, the following tasks were also identified, which were part of the project task:
- Analysis of the current state of traffic safety in road construction zones with a special focus on the analysis of the causes and consequences of traffic accidents in the construction zones;
- Review of best international practices and standards for road construction;
- Preparation of proposals for amendments to by-laws in the field of traffic regulation during road construction;
- Providing proposals for innovating instructions (guidelines) for the design of traffic signals and equipment during road construction;
- Preparation of proposals for conducting training for designers, technical control, supervisory bodies, and experts at road construction contractors;
- Conducting training for participants in the process of developing and implementing changes to the traffic regime during road construction.
The thematic units of the training included the following:
- PLANNING of work zones - The planning includes units related to the analysis of the current state of traffic safety in work zones on state roads, then the traffic management plan during the execution of the works, the method of informing the public and providing information to traffic participants, as well as other elements that may arise as a need when planning work zones.
- DESIGNING of work zones - The design of traffic signaling and equipment in work zones includes an analysis of the current state with an emphasis on the shortcomings observed in practice, methods and principles of safe marking of work zones, the application of modern elements of traffic signaling and equipment, as well as other innovative methods related to work zones.
- CONSTRUCTION of work zones - As part of the Construction, personnel will be trained in the installation and maintenance of work zones, the manner in which signage will be installed, good and bad examples from practice will be presented, as well as the manner in which each individual zone will be arranged.
- MONITORING of work zones - As part of the Monitoring of the installed work zone, with special attention to the responsibilities of each participant in the process, it is necessary to state the methods and principles of maintaining a high-quality and safe work zone, then the procedure in the event of a traffic accident in the work zone, as well as the possibilities of sanctioning unsafe behavior of each participant in the process.
As part of the final phase of the project, the subject training was held in the premises of the PE "Roads of Serbia", conducted in accordance with the applicable regulations of the Republic of Serbia, and was held in 3 terms for 120 participants, representatives of ministries, contractors, supervisory authorities, traffic and traffic signaling designers (technical control).
The data obtained within the project is purposeful and usable for the state road manager, and high-quality conclusions are expected that will improve traffic safety in work zones, thereby fulfilling the basic provisions of the Traffic Safety Strategy in the Republic of Serbia and the Action Plan to reduce the number of traffic accidents, especially in road work zones, where the State Road Manager has the most responsibilities and obligations.