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Dr Adrian Davis

Top line: A culture change is needed for a safe systems approach to achieve objectives of eradicating deaths and life changing injuries on the road. Political commitment, public support, cooperation across agencies and coordination are essential ingredients.

Road safety has traditionally been an issue for the transport system to address and there was, for a long time, no systematic engagement with either the field of public health or the field of occupational health and safety. Ironically, the World Health Organisation is now playing a lead role in promoting global action as road trauma assumes a more prominent position in the global burden of disease, yet it lacks the networks to influence institutional change among the transport players.

The term safe system now represents the current consensus of what constitutes best practice strategic thinking in road safety.1 It builds upon Sweden’s Vision Zero and the dutch principles of sustainable safety.2 Many discussions of the safe system model commence with a discussion of an assumed underlying ethical platform in which human life is sacrosanct. The Swedish parliament formally adopted ‘‘Vision Zero” in 1997 which, in effect, made the prevention of death and serious injury the over-arching policy objective in the management of the road transport system. Elvik has shown what matters most in creating commitment and action is the setting of ambitious, quantitative targets. The nations considered as being at the leading edge of safety thinking and performance set their safety performance targets in terms of reductions in the absolute number of deaths and serious injuries, not merely as reductions in population-based rates.3

An Australian review of road safety practice has suggested that adoption of this conceptual model requires a level of change in institutional mindset that cannot be understated.4 While there are standards that take safety explicitly into account their origins are rarely based on a sound understanding of human behaviour and their application is based typically on motor traffic volumes. The review noted that understanding and acceptance of the safe system principles seems not to be widespread among institutions such as road and traffic authorities, transport planning agencies or enforcement agencies.

In many western societies the culturally-anchored unsafe behaviours of drink-driving, distraction (eg texting), and speeding continue to act as barriers to the achievement of sustainable safety. The review notes that it is important to establish acceptance by both politicians and the public of the rationale for road safety strategies to be implemented. Where folk lore and official strategy are at odds – as is the case with speed moderation across the entire speed distribution – public understanding is vital. The issue of speed is the clearest example of a mismatch between strategic thinking and cultural mindset.


1 OECD, 2008. Towards Zero: Ambitious Safety Targets and the Safe System Approach. OECD, Paris.
2 See https://travelwest.info/project/ee-15-vision-zero
3 Elvik, R. 2003 An overview of target setting in Europe. In Best in Europe 2003: Targeted Road Safety Programmes in the EU. Brussels: European Transport Safety Council.
4 Johnston, I. 2010 Beyond “best practice” road safety thinking and systems management – A case for culture change research, Safety Science, 1175-1181.

144: Beyond Best Practice in Road Safety thinking – seeking a culture change Download pdf PDF approximately 162.63 K

West of England Mayor launches new WESTlocal services with free bus travel

West of England Mayor launches new WESTlocal services with free bus travel

Local residents across the region will be able to travel for free as new community-designed WESTlocal bus services hit the roads from Sunday 1 and Monday 2 September onwards. The launch is being marked with two week’s free travel on the eight new bus routes.

Highway works at Lansdown Road junction complete

Highway works at Lansdown Road junction complete

Works to install a new raised zebra crossing, widen footways and resurface the highway in Lansdown Road, Bath have been completed. 

Centre Promenade works get set to start

Centre Promenade works get set to start

Plans to deliver changes to the Centre Promenade area of the City Centre have been unveiled as part of a project aimed at creating more space for pedestrians, markets and events.

Service changes in South Gloucestershire and Wotton-under-Edge

Service changes in South Gloucestershire and Wotton-under-Edge

Service 84/85 will no longer operate from 1 September. Alternative travel options are listed wthin this post.

Time to catch the bus? Changes coming to your North Somerset services from September

Time to catch the bus? Changes coming to your North Somerset services from September

Some bus timetables are being updated from 1 September and passengers are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the revised schedule so they can continue to enjoy cheap or free bus travel from next month.