To understand how things might change, let’s first look at how traditional work zone management operates. For decades, the NZ TTM industry has adhered to a rules-orientated approach, applying structured prescription to each site following a recipe-like system.
While this method has aimed to prioritise safety, it often creates inefficiencies. Some sites end up with excessive protections, causing unnecessary disruptions (or excess risk), while others might lack sufficient safeguards, increasing the chance of accidents. The assumption with these traditional practices is that all worksites face the same level of risk, but that’s rarely the case. Traffic volume, speed, and environmental conditions vary from site to site, making a uniform recipe-like approach less effective.
The Rise of Risk-Based Traffic Management
Risk-Based Traffic Management marks a major change in how we approach work zones. Instead of applying a prescriptive rulebook, this method evaluates the specific risks at each site and creates a management plan tailored to those unique conditions.
In practice, this means a thorough risk assessment is done before any traffic management plan is implemented. Factors like location, road conditions, vehicle speeds, traffic volume, and the type of work are all considered and the risks deliberately explored. The goal? To improve safety and efficiency by aligning the plan with the actual needs of the site, avoiding unnecessary or ineffective measures.
So, Will it look Different?
Absolutely, and here’s how:
1. More Targeted Use of Resources
One of the biggest differences you’ll notice is how resources are used. In the past, you might’ve seen cones, barriers, and signs everywhere, even in places where they weren’t really needed. Risk-based planning changes that. The use of control measures should be more intentional.
At lower-risk sites, fewer controls than have previously been used may be appropriate, with the focus on addressing specific hazards identified during the assessment. This is because adding controls also adds additional hazards – so in low risk settings the controls themselves may carry more risk than what was being treated. High-risk situations, on the other hand, might need more sophisticated arrangements, planning, and consultation. The aim here is not to reduce safety but to apply “right-sized” management—fitting the level of control to the actual risk, so every situation is handled appropriately and every control measure serves the purpose of making it safer – not just adding more stuff.
2. More Dynamic Environments
Risk is not static. So even if there is a well designed plan with considered measures and deliberate risk assessment – the environment and work will evolve over time. This means the control measures should do so too – resulting in a more dynamic approach that ensures the TTM stays right sized throughout the whole activity.
Drivers might notice that configurations now vary more between work zones, rather than the uniform approaches they’ve become used to. Research shows this is exactly what gets the best response from road users, where control measures make sense based on the environment they are experiencing.
3. Improved Safety Outcomes
While the public may not immediately see the difference, this shift is expected to improve safety outcomes. Over the past two decades, we’ve seen an increase in prescriptive traffic control measures, but safety performance in work zones has worsened. By focusing on the specific risks of each location, the goal is to reduce harm by ensuring purposeful TTM that does the job is present.
Work crews will also benefit, as the controls around them will reflect the real dangers they face, not just a generic set of rules.
The Bottom Line: A Smarter, More Efficient Future
Risk-Based Traffic Management will look and feel different from what we’re used to, but the changes are designed to make work zones more precise, more efficient, and above all, safer. By aligning traffic control measures with the actual risks at each site, we can minimise unnecessary introduction of TTM, improve safety, and create a more dynamic, responsive system.
For those in the NZ TTM industry, this shift will require a more thoughtful approach to planning and execution. For the public, the changes will hopefully lead to less cumbersome work zones and more self-explaining environments. While the transition may take some time, the long-term benefits will make it well worth the effort.
Check out our interactive white paper if you want to understand the Risk-based TTM System in NZ