Identification of safety hazards and their sources in tram transport

Abstract

Both in Poland and in most countries of the European Union, the tram infrastructure is extensively expanding. Contemporary low-floor trams are constructed according to different technical assumptions than typical railway vehicles or high floor trams. In Poland such vehicles rides often on lines designed according to standards developed to the classical vehicles. At the same time, the intensity of road traffic and the number of people using cycling are increasing in cities, which causes into a greater number of dangerous situations at the contact points between various modes of transport. The scope of this article is the analysis of safety hazards in tram transportation and indication of methods for their reduction. It will be a specific analysis of the risk occurring in tram transport. The article presents a division and description of factors that pose a safety hazard to tram traffic. Threats were divided due to the reason for its occuring and due to its effects. The reasons were divided into Human Factor – Vehicle – Road – Traffic - Surroundings. Based on the analysis conducted on the tram network in Gdańsk and on the used rolling stock, the main safety hazards of tram traffic were identified.