With the new highways code of practice – Well-managed Highways Infrastructure – due for launch in the coming weeks, local authorities are starting to consider ways in which to respond; no wonder, since the new guidelines are likely to transform highways management across the country.

Originally published in 2005 and last updated in September 2013, the current Code of Practice for Highways Maintenance provides national guidelines for how frequently roads should be inspected.

Many of its illustrative examples were adopted as is by local authorities. Over the years, this led to a situation where highways maintenance was relatively harmonised across the country, providing little leeway as to how to adapt the guidelines to local conditions. But the new guidelines scrap this rigid system.

Well-managed Highways Infrastructure advocates a risk-based approach across all aspects of highway infrastructure maintenance, including levels of service, inspections, responses, resilience, priorities and programmes. There will be more autonomy, with councils able to decide for themselves how frequently inspections should take place.

Clearly, these changes will have a significant impact on local authorities, requiring them to take action to update their Highway Asset Management Plans (HAMP). While some local authorities may find this prospect daunting, others can use it as an opportunity to take stock and make improvements.

The two-year phased introduction of the new Code will ensure that local authorities have time to seek advice where needed, however there are several key things that they should consider sooner rather than later.

Firstly, local highway authorities should look to collaborate when reviewing and implementing their highways maintenance processes and procedures. Not only will a collaborative approach have the potential to generate savings, but sharing best practice will also help to maintain levels of service across authority boundaries.

If authorities were to operate in silos and each assess their highways assets independently, neighbouring authorities could end up pursuing completely different strategies in terms of inspections and maintenance. This could become a problem and threat to claims defensibility, should a serious accident or incident occur on a road that passes through multiple local authority areas.

Second, local authorities should invest in collating accident history, traffic volume and claims data. This will help them review and understand how their neighbours reached their decisions regarding frequency of inspections and maintenance. It will also provide an evidence base for inspection and maintenance frequency. Authorities can be more confident of their decision-making with the weight of analysis and understanding of such data. If the data shows many claims payments in a certain area, it suggests there may be a particular problem that can be addressed.

Local authorities should also seek to use historical claims data in using limited resources more efficiently. For example, if there are many claims relating to potholes on a particular road, the local authority might decide to resurface the entire road, rather than reactively dealing with each pothole after a claim or complaint is made. Conversely, even with the road in a less than ideal condition, the data may reveal that there are very few claims. The local authority may then decide to carry on making repairs on a reactive basis rather than carrying out wholesale repairs to the road.

Finally, it’s crucial that local authorities work with their insurers to harness the insight that lies in claims data. Ideally, the insurer, the local authority risk manager and the highways asset manager will work together, talking to each other regularly and sharing information to mitigate highways risks. It’s particularly important for local authorities to remain engaged with risk and insurance managers during the revision process, so that highways claims defensibility is not compromised.

Insurers may also be well-placed to advise on other elements of the new code’s recommended risk-based approach, such as performing a critical trend appraisal, and developing and adopting an appropriate strategy and asset management policy.

Local authorities should rest assured that the incoming Well-managed Highways Infrastructure guidelines need not be a cause for concern. By taking an organised and collaborative approach to highways maintenance, inspection and performance, local authorities will be better able to achieve long-term stability and deliver a consistent level of service for the public.

Paul Tombs is head of public services and infrastructure at Zurich Municipal