WEBINAR WILL
BEGIN AT 14:00
SAFE SYSTEM
PRINCIPLES
RICHARD OWEN & TANYA FOSDICK
WEBINAR SUPPORT • Please use the Q&A Section to ask
questions – We will answer as many as
we can
• This is being recorded and will be
available to review shortly
• The PDF slides are also available
EXERCISE – ARE YOU ALREADY
APPLYING SAFE SYSTEM
EXERCISE –ARE YOU ALREADY
APPLYING SAFE SYSTEM
• Provide one example of where you think you have already
used Safe System approach
• Provide one example of a scheme that you are aware of
that only use traditional approaches
• Type your answers into the Q&A with the prefix [Example]
E.g. [Example] 20mph zones – Safe Roads
TYPICAL SAFE SYSTEM COURSE OUTLINE
• Principles Of The Safe System
• Leadership
• Applying The Safe System: Safe Speeds
• Applying The Safe System: Safe Urban Roads
• Applying The Safe System: Safe Road Use
• Other Safe System Elements
• Bringing The Safe System Together
• Course Summary And Next Steps
PRINCIPLES OF THE SAFE SYSTEM –
SYSTEMS APPROACH
• A system is a cohesive conglomeration of interrelated and
interdependent parts that is either natural or man-made.
• Every system is delineated by its spatial and temporal
boundaries, surrounded and influenced by its environment,
described by its structure and purpose or nature and expressed
in its functioning.
• In terms of its effects, a system can be more than the sum of its
parts if it expresses synergy or emergent behaviour.
• Changing one part of the system usually affects other parts and
the whole system, with predictable patterns of behaviour.
Wikipedia
PRINCIPLES OF THE SAFE SYSTEM –
SYSTEMS APPROACH
• A system is a cohesive conglomeration of interrelated and
interdependent parts that is either natural or man-made. Every
system is delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries,
surrounded and influenced by its environment, described by its
structure and purpose or nature and expressed in its functioning. In
terms of its effects, a system can be more than the sum of its parts if
it expresses synergy or emergent behaviour. Changing one part of the
system usually affects other parts and the whole system, with
predictable patterns of behaviour.
Wikipedia
PRINCIPLES OF THE SAFE SYSTEM
People People
make are
mistakes vulnerable
PRINCIPLES OF THE
SAFE SYSTEM
• [Link]
ons/zero-road-deaths-and-
serious-injuries-
[Link]
• ‘Safe System Bible’
• Preceded by the 2008 ‘Towards
Zero’ report
PRINCIPLES OF
THE SAFE SYSTEM
• [Link]
[Link]/s3fs-
public/sustainable-
[Link]
• Slightly more user-
friendly version
PRINCIPLES OF THE SAFE SYSTEM
A safe system is a holistic approach to road safety, managed so the
elements of the road transport system combine and interact to guide
users to act safely and to prevent crashes – and when crashes occur,
ensure that the impact forces do not exceed the limits that result in
serious injury or death.
If one part of the system fails, the other components act to prevent
serious harm occurring when a crash occurs by keeping the transfer of
kinetic energy into the human below levels known to cause serious
physical harm.
Zero Road Deaths and Serious Injuries
Leading a Paradigm Shift to a Safe System
PRINCIPLES OF THE SAFE SYSTEM
1. People make mistakes that can lead to road crashes
2. The human body has a limited physical ability to tolerate
crash forces before harm occurs
3. A shared responsibility exists amongst those who design,
build, manage and use roads and vehicle and provide post-
crash care to prevent crashes resulting in serious injury or
death
4. All parts of the system must be strengthened to multiply their
effects; and if one part fails, road users are still protected.
PRINCIPLES OF THE SAFE SYSTEM
PRINCIPLES OF THE SAFE SYSTEM
VIDEO
• [Link]
[Link]/watch?v=
mFcLUCtUAzc
• Essential post-
course viewing
Traditional Approach Safe System
What is the Try to prevent all crashes Prevent crashes from resulting in fatal and serious
problem? casualties
What is the Reduce the number of Zero fatal and serious injuries
appropriate goal? fatalities and serious injuries
What are the major Reactive to incidents, Proactively target and treat risk; systematic approach to
planning incremental approach to build a safe road system
approaches? reduce the problem
What causes the Non-compliant road users People make mistakes and are fragile / vulnerable in
problem? crashes. Varying quality and design of infrastructure
and operating speeds provides inconsistent guidance to
users about what is safe road behaviour
Who is ultimately Individual road users Shared responsibility by individuals with system
responsible? designers
How does the Is composed of isolated Different elements of a Safe System combine to produce
system work? interventions a summary effect greater than the sum of the individual
treatments so that if one part of the system fails other
parts provide protection
SAFE SPEEDS – HUMAN TOLERANCE
• The Relationship between
Speed and Car Driver Injury
Severity, DfT 2009
• Information on fatally and
seriously injured drivers from
the Co-operative Crash Injury
Study (CCIS) and slightly
injured drivers from the On
the Spot (OTS) study were
combined.
• The number of fatal, serious
and slightly injured drivers in
this dataset were weighted
using the police STATS19
database, and the risk of
injury with respect to the
change of velocity of the
driver’s car was calculated.
SAFE SPEEDS – HUMAN TOLERANCE
source: Tingvall & Howarth, 1999
Types of road infrastructure and traffic Safe Speed
(mph)
Locations with possible conflicts between cars 20
and pedestrians/cyclists
Junctions with possible car-to-car side impacts 30
Roads with possible car-to-car frontal impacts 45
Roads with no possibility of side impact or >62
frontal impact
DIFFICULTIES WITH SAFE SYSTEM
1. Zero is unachievable – Let’s just focus on making the
worst roads better
2. The vast majority of collisions are due to human
behaviour – Let’s just stop people doing ‘bad things’
3. It’s too expensive – Build costs, reductions in traffic flows
and increased journey times make it uneconomical to
achieve zero
4. The public won’t support or understand it
EXERCISE – ARE YOU ALREADY
APPLYING SAFE SYSTEM
EXERCISE –ARE YOU ALREADY
APPLYING SAFE SYSTEM
• Provide one example of where you think you have already
used Safe System approach
• Provide one example of a scheme that you are aware of
that only use traditional approaches
• Type your answers into the Q&A with the prefix [Example]
E.g. [Example] 20mph zones – Safe Roads
RICHARD OWEN TANYA FOSDICK
+44 1295 731815 +44 1295 731812
+44 7977 122420
[Link]@[Link] [Link]@[Link]