In collaboration with Good Roads, Dr. Dabbour annually teaches the following professional development courses for municipal staff, engineers, technologists, technicians, and anyone interested in road design and traffic safety:
Traffic Safety Analytics
This four-day course is offered as part of Good Roads’ Road Safety School. The program begins with a full-day Safe System Principles Workshop, followed by three days of specialized instruction in traffic safety analytics led by Dr. Essam Dabbour. The course examines how deficiencies in the planning, design, operation, inspection, or maintenance of transportation facilities may contribute to collision risk. Municipalities can learn from these failures by properly collecting and analyzing collision data, identifying high-risk locations through network screening, and conducting road safety reviews/audits for the identified problematic locations. Through this process, participants will learn how municipalities can make systematic, data-driven decisions to implement effective safety countermeasures and monitor their impact over time.
The next offering will take place from October 6 to 9, 2026.
Municipal Liability: Traffic Collisions
This three-day course provides an in-depth understanding of municipalities’ exposure to liability due to their legal obligation to provide safe road facilities to the public and how to avoid that costly exposure. The course explains the legal principle of “joint and several liability” in Canadian courts, and practical steps that municipalities can take to fulfill their legal obligations through proper design, inspection, maintenance, and documentation of road facilities. Several real-life examples are discussed to illustrate how municipalities have been found legally liable for their failure to ensure the safety of road users through proper design, inspection, maintenance, and documentation of road facilities.
The next offering will take place from October 20 to 22, 2026.
Municipal Liability: Temporary Work Zones
This two-day course provides up-to-date, comprehensive training on the safety requirements for temporary work zones in Ontario. The course curriculum is primarily based on the latest edition (April 2022) of the Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM) Book 7 and the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The course provides participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop and implement essential safety plans in temporary work zones. Several real-life examples are discussed to illustrate how municipalities have been found liable for failing to ensure the safety of road users, including motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists, in temporary work zones.
The next offering will take place from November 3 to 4, 2026.