Search

Effective implementation of the "Safe System" approach requires 'systems' thinking in an integrated and holistic strategy involving all road safety disciplines. This paper examines safety systems management to gain a clearer perspective on managing road safety as a whole, rather than individual parts in isolation. The identification of a comprehensive system of good practice in data collection and risk analysis, root cause analysis incorporating contributory factors, together with critical performance monitoring leads to a more proactive approach to reform capable of achieving road safety targets. The paper identifies 'System Safety', explores the historical development of systems thinking and investigates transport and industry safety management to gain insight into how best to use the experiences in general road safety management. Road safety advancement is calling for a more systemic and dynamic analysis of road trauma risk factors. The original Haddon's Matrix, used in crash investigations since the 1970's is now questioned for sufficiency to support Safe Systems analysis. Psychologists such as James Reason and others have developed injury factor analysis tools that have been applied in occupational and aviation safety. These approaches support the analysis of latent root causes -- methods that have generally not been applied in road safety. Apart from work-related road safety, this approach of systemic analysis has largely been absent. A critical assessment calls for a deeper analysis of road trauma data and more comprehensive use of key performance indicators in a similar application to that used in the medical and allied health services.

Speed management is one of the main dimensions of the Safe System Approach for reducing both the risk of crash involvement as well as injury severity. This study proposes a practical framework for setting safer speed limits on duplicated rural highways that has been applied to six pilot corridors (total carriageway length of approximately 1,250 km) in Iran. The safer speed limits determined from the proposed framework have been compared with the currently posted speed limits using several indicators and showed a considerable reduction in the total number of changes in speed limits while having very limited impact on reducing the mean travel speed and increase travel time along the study corridors. The study of the pilot corridors establishes that a clear approach and documented guidelines for setting speed limits provides a basis for quantifying engineering judgments about road hazards and determining more consistent speed limit values for similar conditions across Iran’s rural highway network, legitimising speed limit reductions aimed at saving

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) has embarked on a challenging project aiming to demonstrate how to make road travel safer through speed management measures based on Safe System Approach (SSA) and Result Based Management (RBM). This follows from mounting concern in curbing a high death rate from motor vehicle crashes in recent years. However, despite the Government’s commitment to address this problem, there have been setbacks owing to the challenges of putting in place a strong collaborative framework involving all the agencies charged with responsibilities for road engineering, traffic law enforcement and public education. Iran has established a National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to lead and coordinate actions. In implementing a demonstration project, specific partnership arrangements have been established at national and provincial levels, as well as pillar-based project teams in 3 provinces. This paper examines the governance structure and opportunities to strengthen the collaborative management of the project and how similar programs can be established and executed in other countries to improve road safety based on SSA and RBM.

Professional road crash investigation, complemented by intelligent analysis and dynamic actions provide the foundation for road safety reform. However, to date, the real potential resulting from police investigative findings have not been fully realised due to the lack of streamlined connectivity from the crash scene to the reform process. Such deficiencies include inadequate investigations, inadequate data management, convoluted processes, system delays, inadequate analysis and limited immediate and mid-term actions which should be generated following thorough and efficient investigations. A review of processes across high, medium and low-income countries has identified a more effective approach to achieving results in road safety reform across all road safety disciplines. The simple AAA framework to ‘Acquire, Analyse and Action’ is presented as a contemporary model to ensure an evidence-based foundation drives road safety reform to identify root cause analysis locally, nationally and globally. This provides structure, discipline and purpose as well as technical skill and competence to achieve practical recommendations as preventative measures for crash reduction. A multi-disciplined expert review team to validate/assess/modify these recommendations in serious crashes ensures constructive countermeasures are prioritised and actioned. This facilitates a paradigm shift in thinking and analysis to achieve a continuous improvement process designed to reduce road trauma and save lives.

The level of road trauma is high in the Eastern Mediterranean Region with the Islamic Republic of Iran having a particularly high fatality rate at 20.5 per 100,000 population. The Government, assisted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), committed to implementing demonstration projects in three provinces that will form the basis of road safety actions to be advanced by the WHO across the Region. In recognition that speed management is a pivotal factor in achieving a safer road and traffic system, and as a component of the project, a review was carried out in 2019 by a team of international experts in the field in collaboration with national consultants. This review was undertaken in consideration of the Safe System Approach and the Results-Based Management Approach. The findings of this review and their implications for future actions in Iran are discussed in this paper.

During the global pandemic, an international road safety on-line collaboration between Australia and Cambodia was initiated to design, develop and deliver a virtual training course in June/July 2021. Ten highly experienced Australian and Cambodian road safety practitioners voluntarily combined with the enthusiasm and dedication of 53 committed Cambodian young peer influencers to achieve highly productive results. In the month following the training sessions, the youth syndicates produced promotional leaflets, banners, infographics and 10 short videos to deliver tailored messages to over 26,000 community members in villages and cities in Cambodia. The communications media included Facebook and TikTok as well as workshops and direct messaging at vaccination points. This program epitomises what can be achieved with the goodwill of road safety professionals using an international network to combine with enthusiastic, dedicated and committed youth peer influencers, all within a framework of voluntary community services. Actions, outcomes and the impact of this knowledge-transfer and youth empowerment initiative is presented as an example of a successful road safety intervention.

This paper presents aspects of policy and practice observed in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the lessons which can be learned from these and similar initiatives. The role of non-government organisations in capacity building programs and advocacy is identified as a strong foundation for road safety reform. Political will is discussed as a critical component of reform together with the need for a holistic approach to ensure sustainability. The requirement for a strong evidence-base to support evaluation is discussed and the need to ensure strong governance over law enforcement is profiled. Good practice programs are described as well as the importance of harnessing the enthusiasm and dedication of youth in developing and championing initiatives for safer community outcomes. While the lack of resources and financial support may appear as an impediment to some, if viewed as a surmountable challenge, safety outcomes can be achieved. The findings demonstrate that there is a rich environment in LMICs from which to source and undertake key and critical research to stimulate continuous road safety improvement especially in those countries where road trauma remains at a comparatively high level.

The 10th of April, 2020 marked the end of United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety. The target for this Decade was to reduce global road fatalities by 50% of the projected deaths of around 1.9 million – to below 900,000 deaths. However, by the year 2016 we saw the global road fatality toll rise to 1.35 million – and we still have around 1.35 million deaths per year

This paper presents a practitioner’s perspective of implementing road safety strategies in low and middle-income countries. It identifies a gap in traffic law enforcement capability and describes professional development train the trainer programs to build capacity. The costs and benefits of road safety reform are raised in conjunction with the need to provide adequate funding to support the behavioural change of drivers. Understanding the challenges of piecemeal reform, policing capability, corruption and under-reporting of crashes provides opportunities to use this knowledge to impact behavioural change and road trauma reduction. The findings confirm education and enforcement as a successful methodology for reform as well as the need to create the perception of certainty of being caught and punished when breaking the law.

Last year 43 motorcyclists lost their lives (14% of the road toll) while another 1,044 were seriously injured on Victorian roads. 56% were single vehicle crashes with at least 50% of these crashes involving excessive speed . Motorcycles account for approximately 3% of the vehicle fleet in the state. In January 2009, Victoria Police with the support of VicRoads and the Victorian Motor Cycle Advisory Council (VMAC), commenced an ambitious two year “Community Policing and Education” project with the objective to positively impact on motorcycle safety. This new initiative provides a focus on communication and awareness for both motorcyclists and vehicle drivers while ensuring that a complementary enforcement strategy is maintained. In addition to normal policing activities, five major state-wide policing operations will be undertaken annually supported by 50 regional operations each year. The program is to be fully evaluated.