Leave traffic measures to professionals to avoid insurance issues

Traffic plans, traffic controllers, road closures, you have to think about these things carefully. A safe situation for both employees and traffic participants is essential. Ruud Jong, director of Verkeer Centrale Nederland sees that this is still sometimes dealt with somewhat casually. "Make sure that in the event of an emergency you can demonstrate that you have complied with the rules."

As a project manager or contractor, you will have to deal with road closures. In some cases, certified traffic controllers are also needed. Professional companies such as Verkeer Centrale Nederland will record how many and which signs and barriers you need in a traffic plan. For this, the company has traffic specialists and a traffic plan draughtsman in-house. Because managing traffic properly and safely during work is a profession. 

Handbook 96a and 96b

"We offer advice, traffic plans and also supply materials in the form of signs and road barriers," says Ruud. "Our clients have to comply with the requirements and conditions of the road authority in road works. In our work, we use the standards and guidelines of CROW as a starting point. Governments and road authorities usually do as well. Our traffic plans, drawings and advice are tested against the CROW guidelines."

Knowledge platform CROW has knowledge networks, courses and knowledge products for all kinds of sub-areas. Specifically for measures on freeways, CROW developed Handbook 96A and for working on non-motorways there is Handbook 96B. The manuals provide users with selection trees that lead to figures for standard measures. "You'd better make use of those," warns Ruud.

Prevention is better...

Because his experience is that the following situation is not an exception; the budget is completed, additionally traffic measures are still needed. But it is possible to save some costs on the project. So only the traffic plan is outsourced and placement of signage is carried out itself. "The consequences of this approach are great, if things go wrong," Ruud knows. "When an accident occurs, where you have to hope that there is only material damage, the insurance company checks whether the traffic measures have been placed according to the CROW guidelines. If it is found that no measures have been taken or the measures do not meet the guidelines, an insurance issue arises. With the possible result that the insurance company does not pay out or pays out a limited amount."

People think the risk is minimal, but there are numerous examples that prove otherwise, warns Ruud. "In addition to the insurance issue, there is of course the safety of both road workers and road users. It regularly happens that a vehicle accidentally drives into a work area. This is why we stress the importance of good preparation: make sure everything is well taken care of at the front. Get unburdened and don't try to solve this yourself."

Verkeer Centrale Nederland is ISO9001, BRL9101 and VCA* certified.