iRAP launches updated Star Rating model for road infrastructure safety

The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) has launched Version 3.10 of its Star Rating model, the global tool used to assess how much safety is built into the design of roads for all road users. The update follows a comprehensive five-year review.

The Star Rating methodology grades roads from one to five stars on the basis of the safety they provide for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists. iRAP says the model is used in more than 140 countries.

The headline changes in Version 3.10 give a sharper picture of risk to vulnerable road users. Improvements include enhanced pedestrian and cyclist models, the addition of new crash types such as “Bicyclist Crossing”, a new “Zero Star” rating band to flag the highest-risk sections of road for priority investment, and the introduction of decimal Star Ratings so that incremental safety improvements can be tracked.

Greg Smith, CEO of iRAP, said the new model “reflects years of global research, collaboration and commitment to understanding risk more deeply and responding to it more effectively”, and that with sharper insight into where danger exists, particularly for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, partners can act faster.

The update arrives as European policymakers continue to grapple with the cycling safety gap. ETSC’s recent report found that cyclist deaths across the EU have barely declined over the past decade as deaths among car occupants have fallen at four times the rate. The report called for action on both motor vehicle speeds and dedicated cycling infrastructure. Tools that capture cyclist and pedestrian risk in more detail are therefore well-timed for European needs.