Safe System Approach Research Articles

Safe System approach for cyclists in the Netherlands: Towards zero fatalities and serious injuries?

More than one third of all road deaths in the Netherlands and more than two thirds of seriously injured casualties are cyclists. In recent years these shares have increased, despite the fact that the implementation of Safe System principles has been leading in road safety policy and has been successful in reducing the total number of road deaths. However, the annual number of fatalities among cyclists failed to decline and the number of injuries among cyclists has been increasing, especially in single-bicycle crashes. This raises the question why until now Safe System implementation has failed to contribute to the reduction of the number of casualties among cyclists. This question is urgent because of the goal to reduce the number of road deaths and serious traffic injuries in the Netherlands to (virtually) ZERO by 2050. This ambition is in line with the objectives of the European Union. The causes of the unfavourable developments in road safety for cyclists in the Netherlands and which problems require a solution are examined. This raises two questions: can improved implementation of Safe System measures reverse the negative trend, and can this result in ZERO cycling casualties in the future. The discussion involves investigating three dimensions: exposure, crash risk, and injury risk. The opportunities that technological developments may offer in future decades are also considered. It is concluded that Safe System implementation will include opportunities to make cycling considerably safer in the Netherlands. However, we face too many uncertainties to allow for developing scenarios that show how close the Netherlands will be to ZERO cyclists casualties.

The causation-prevention chain in infrastructure safety measures: A consideration of four types of policy lock-ins

Safety policies typically follow Lasswell’s linear decision cycle paradigm: diagnostics, prescription, application, monitoring, and appraisal. Contemporary policy research highlights the existence of complexities in policy-making, which trigger policy lock-ins. We consider four cases in which the complex nature of the causation-prevention discourse leads to decision-making lock-ins, which deter safety progress. The four cases are conflicting narratives, missing causation inferences, prevention and mobility mismatch, and a tension between policy transfer and existing policy environments. The cases are demonstrated on recent examples of infrastructure measures that were observed in Israeli practice, which are, respectively: adding a motorway illumination, setting bus priority routes, safety improvements of multi-lane urban roads, and establishing traffic calming areas. While the four case-studies are region-specific, the discussion is relevant to other road safety measures and countries with similar policy-making problems. The consideration highlights the importance of policy-making dynamics to increase the resilience of the Safe System approach.

Prevention of "bygone futures" due to road traffic injuries in children.

Road traffic injuries remain one of the common and leading causes of death among children and adolescents till the age of 19 years. Road safety is important for children since their physical activity, active travel, independence and development are largely affected by it. Solutions for road safety with benefits for people as well as an economy exist which should be implemented effectively and efficiently. These solutions which combine engineering, legislation and behavioural interventions should be implemented in an integrated Safe Systems Approach. The future of the children must be safeguarded from these injuries and every effort towards it being converted into "bygone figures" must be done diligently and honestly. The various risk factors and interventions possibly explained in this review article shall help in better understanding of the causes and possible guidelines at a policy level to prevent road traffic injuries in children.

The Five “I” Framework of crash investigation: Linking investigation practices to safety reform

Crash investigation is vital to the advancement of road safety, and it is a foundation for determining effective countermeasures and interventions for true road safety reform. However, the way in which road crash investigations are conducted substantially influences the quality of understanding and the effectiveness of responses. In crash investigations, we traditionally focus first on the question: “What caused this crash?” when it would be more efficient to ask immediately: “What could have prevented this crash?” or better yet, “What are all the ways this crash could have been prevented?”In this paper, we first explore a few common road crash investigation approaches where prosecution, retribution, or compensation are primary. We then examine investigation approaches where prevention is primary, especially investigations aimed at determining every point on the timeline preceding the crash where an intervention would have prevented the outcome, as illustrated by the Swiss Cheese Model. We draw from examples from the aviation industry, the occupational health and safety field, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and others, to identify strengths and weaknesses. We bring together good practices from several investigative approaches through the lens of diverse experiences in transportation safety and root-cause analysis to present a practical and proactive framework for road crash investigation. The Five “I” Framework provides guiding characteristics for prevention-focused safety investigations for road crashes: Immediate, In-Depth, Impartial, Independent, and Injury Prevention.The Five “I” Framework is a practical guide for investigations to move beyond crash causation to crash prevention, aligning with the Safe Systems Approach, Vision Zero, and the public health perspective. Rather than focusing primarily on on any single factor such as vehicle defect or driver error, it leads investigations to an array of countermeasures that involve collective action and systems change, and thus, to more effective road safety reform. Nevertheless, as a practical framework, it is the start (not the end) of discussions on how we can continue to move towards more multidisciplinary, collaborative, innovative, and ethical prevention efforts.

Learning not blaming: Investigating ten fatal road traffic collisions using STAMP-CAST

There have been strong calls in the research literature for the adoption of system-based approaches to further reduce road casualties. However, person-based approaches remain at the forefront of both national and local-level decision-making around road safety in the UK. Focusing on person-based approaches inhibits learning across the system. Practical examples are needed to support adoption of system-based approaches and ensure safety learning is maximised within the industry.This study builds on previous work (Staton et al., 2022) mapping the control structure for the municipal area of Cambridgeshire, UK. It utilizes a system-based accident investigation method: Causal Analysis based on System Theory (CAST) (Leveson, 2019). The method is based on Rasmussen’s Risk Management Framework and is used to identify weaknesses in the control structure across the entire sociotechnical system. This supports understanding why the collision occurred and prevention of similar future events, rather than apportioning blame. In the study, CAST is used to investigate a random sample of ten fatal collisions that occurred in Cambridgeshire between 2018 and 2020. The investigations were conducted retrospectively using police forensic collision investigation files that had already concluded crown or coroner’s court proceedings.Across all ten collisions investigated, 21 different types of actor were identified across all levels of the system, each of whom played some role in at least one of the collisions. As a result, 49 specific recommendations are made concerning these actor’s roles in preventing future road deaths and serious injuries. In addition, 11 system-wide recommendations are made relating to communication and coordination; the safety information system; safety culture; design of the safety management system; changes and dynamics over time; and economic factors in the system environment.This study demonstrates that the CAST method is a viable tool for learning in the road safety industry and provides a taxonomy of system hazards, alongside the system control structure from Staton et al. (2022), to support any future analysis using this method. The use of CAST identifies the importance of controls within the road transport system and that currently, despite having one of the best road safety records in the world, the existing controls in place in the UK are insufficient to prevent serious injury and death occurring daily and are in danger of being eroded further through a political agenda of deregulation.This study reinforces that road safety requires system-based approaches and the strength of the CAST method in identifying system-wide recommendations which can be used in support of a Safe System approach to provide recommendations across the Safe System pillars.

The Safe Systems Pyramid: A new framework for traffic safety

IntroductionCivil engineers play an outsize role in shaping the built environment, which plays an outsize role in health, especially in transportation safety. While there is growing interest in integrating public health and transportation engineering and planning to improve safety outcomes, existing efforts fall short. MethodWe review prior efforts to integrate public health into transportation safety, and frameworks from injury prevention and control and risk management. ResultBased on the Hierarchy of Controls and the Health Impact Pyramid, we present a framework for prioritizing policies and interventions, known as the Safe Systems Pyramid, that contains five ascending levels – Socioeconomic Factors, Built Environment, Latent Safety Measures, Active Measures, and Education. The levels of the framework prioritize increased population health impact and decreased individual effort. ConclusionsFrameworks like “The 3 E’s” emphasize collaboration rather than a change in thinking and action among transportation safety professionals, and do not prioritize specific actions. We argue that Vision Zero and other “Safe Systems” prioritize implementation of policies, programs, and infrastructure to increase population health impact by considering the individual effort necessary to obtain a protective effect. Practical applicationsThis framework is designed to shift the thinking of engineers, planners, and policy makers that shape the transportation system. We conclude this work by applying the Safe Systems Pyramid to a hypothetical Vision Zero program, highlighting how the framework can be used to prioritize efforts using a Safe Systems approach.

An in-depth analysis of head-on crash severity and fatalities in Ghana

Head-on collisions are often linked to more serious injuries compared to other types of crashes, due to the intense impact they cause. In low- and middle-income countries, these collisions frequently involve high occupancy public transportation vehicles, leading to higher fatality rates per crash. Given the high risk of injury and potential for multiple casualties, this study delves into the factors influencing the outcomes of head-on crashes and the number of fatalities in Ghana. The study analyzed six years of historical head-on collision data from Ghana and developed two models to address the issue. The injury-severity analysis was performed using a random parameter multinomial logit with heterogeneity in means and variances approach and aimed to identify the factors that have a significant impact on the severity of injuries sustained in head-on collisions, while the random parameters negative binomial fatality count model was designed to examine the factors that contribute to the number of fatalities in these crashes in the country. Results showed that head-on collisions with drivers over 65, buses, motorcycles, and those between 25 and 65 years of age were more likely to result in fatalities. Speeding and vehicle malfunctions were also found to be significant contributing factors to fatal head-on collisions. Head-on crashes involving minibuses and incidents where the driver was attempting to overtake another vehicle were found to be more likely to result in a higher number of fatalities. The results of this study uncover an intriguing interaction between human-related elements and socioeconomic factors, which pose obstacles to the Government's endeavor to upgrade the major highways in the country. Additionally, the increasing need for transportation has led to the presence of vehicles on the roads that may not meet safety standards. Consequently, it is no surprise that several of the study's findings align with expectations. Nevertheless, within the specific context of Ghana, these findings furnish compelling data-driven evidence supporting the adoption and implementation of the safe systems approach as a means to tackle fatal head-on collisions in the country.

Does empirical evidence support the effectiveness of the Safe System approach to road safety management?

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Safe System approach to road safety management, as implemented in Norway. The paper proposes simple operational definitions of key elements of the Safe System approach to road safety management. The relationship between these elements and changes over time in the number of killed or seriously injured road users in Norway is studied by means of negative binomial regression models. These models do not support a causal interpretation of the findings, but predict systematic patterns in findings that, if replicated in other data sets, at least make a causal interpretation plausible, although not incontestable. The findings reported in this paper are broadly consistent with theoretical predictions and therefore support the effectiveness of the Safe System approach. It is highly likely that the adoption of the Safe System approach to road safety management in Norway has contributed to a larger improvement in road safety than would otherwise have occurred.

Editorial: Vision zero: the safe system approach and traffic safety culture

Editorial: Vision zero: the safe system approach and traffic safety culture

Assessing the applicability of impact speed injury risk curves based on US data to defining safe speeds in the US and Sweden

Vision Zero is an approach to road safety that aims to eliminate all traffic-induced fatalities and lifelong injuries. To reach this goal, a multi-faceted safe system approach must be implemented to anticipate and minimize the risk associated with human mistakes. One aspect of a safe system is choosing speed limits that keep occupants within human biomechanical limits in a crash scenario. The objective of this study was to relate impact speed and maximum delta-v to risk of passenger vehicle (passenger cars and light trucks and vans) occupants sustaining a moderate to fatal injury (MAIS2+F) in three crash modes: head-on vehicle-vehicle, frontal vehicle–barrier, and front-to-side vehicle-vehicle crashes. Data was extracted from the Crash Investigation Sampling System, and logistic regression was used to construct the injury prediction models. Impact speed was a statistically significant predictor in head-on crashes, but was not a statistically significant predictor in vehicle-barrier or front–to–side crashes. Maximum delta-v was a statistically significant predictor in all three crash modes. A head-on impact speed of 62 km/h yielded 50% (±27%) risk of moderate to fatal injury for occupants at least 65 years old. A head-on impact speed of 82 km/h yielded 50% (±31%) risk of moderate to fatal injury for occupants younger than 65 years. Compared to the impact speeds, the maximum delta-v values yielding the same level of risk were lower within the head-on crash population. A head-on delta-v of 40 km/h yielded 50% (±21%) risk of moderate to fatal injury for occupants at least 65 years old. A head-on delta-v of 65 km/h yielded 50% (±33%) risk of moderate to fatal injury for occupants younger than 65 years. A maximum delta–v value of approximately 30 km/h yielded 50% (±42%) risk of MAIS2+F injury for passenger car occupants in vehicle-vehicle front-to-side crashes. A maximum delta–v value of approximately 44 km/h yielded 50% (±24%) risk of MAIS2+F injury for light truck and van occupants, respectively, in vehicle-vehicle front-to-side crashes.

When policy hits the road: Safe System in Victoria’s policy environment

The Safe System approach has globally become the dominant means to address road trauma, with bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, European Union, World Bank, World Health Organization, National and State Australian Governments and the United Nations encouraging its uptake. However, whilst there has been significant growth in its application, limited attention has been paid to the extent to which Safe System is integrated into public policy. Anecdotally, as an early adopter of the Safe System approach, Victoria’s experience acts an instructive case for other jurisdictions applying the concept to policy. Using an interpretive qualitative case study approach, this study explored whether a) Safe System has influenced Victoria’s road safety policy development to date, and b) if the extent to which Safe System has been integrated into public policy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Victoria’s strategic, government-based, road safety decision-makers. Interviews were structured around the World Health Organization’s Policy Development Process framework.The results indicate that Safe System has an implicit role in Victoria’s road safety policy. When viewed through the lens of a policy integration framework, the analysis found only partial integration of the Safe System concept within road safety policy in Victoria, with limited flow-on effects of the framework on the policy frame, subsystems, goals and instruments. Governance frameworks, management structures and policy objectives are all influenced by Safe System, with the road safety problem having clearly been established as a cross-cutting issue. However, additional refinement of policy instruments to articulate the role of Safe System as well actively employing the approach in the policy development process is required. These findings confirm that while Victoria’s use of Safe System is noteworthy, it may be beneficial for the framework to feature more prominently in policy for it to have the intended effect on road safety.

Towards a safe system in low- and middle-income countries: vehicles that guide drivers on self-explaining roads

Road crashes cause a huge problem of public health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Safe System approach is generally considered as the leading concept on the way to road safety. Based on the fundamental premise that humans make mistakes, the overall traffic system should be ‘forgiving’. Sustainable safe road design is one of the key elements of the Safe System approach. Road design and speed control should help prevent crashes with a high level of kinetic energy. However, the road design principles behind the Safe System approach are certainly not leading in today’s infrastructure developments in most LMICs. Cities are getting larger with increasing motorization and expanding road networks. Existing through-roads in local communities are upgraded, resulting in heavy traffic loads and high speeds on places, that are absolutely not suited for this kind of traffic. Furthermore, a Safe System would require that functional design properties of vehicles and roads would be conceptually integrated, which is not the case at all. Although advanced driver assistance systems are on their way of development for quite a long period, their potential role in the Safe System concept is mostly unclear and at least strongly underexposed. The vision on future cars is dominated by the faraway concept of automation. This paper argues that the way to self-driving cars should take a route via the concept of guidance, i.e. vehicles that guide drivers, both on self-explaining roads and on more or less unsafe roads. Such an in-vehicle guidance system may help drivers to choose safe transport mode, a safe route and a safe speed, based on criteria related to safety and sustainability. It is suggested to develop driver assistance systems using relatively simple and cheap technologies, particularly for the purpose of use in LMICs. Such a guide may make roads self-explaining—not only by their physical design characteristics—but also by providing in-car guidance for drivers. In the future, the functional characteristics of both cars and roads may be conceptualized into one integrated Safe System, in which the user plays the central role. Such a guidance system may serve as the conceptual bridge between the roadway, the vehicle and the driver, and thus be considered as an indispensable component of the Safe System approach. It is argued that such a development is necessary to bring a breakthrough in road safety developments in LMICs and also give an acceleration towards zero fatalities in high-income countries.

The Future of Road Safety: Challenges and Opportunities.

Policy Points Traditional approaches to addressing motor vehicle crashes are yielding diminishing returns. A comprehensive strategy known as the Safe Systems approach shows promise in both advancing safety and equity and reducing motor vehicle crashes. In addition, a range of emerging technologies, enabled by artificial intelligence, such as automated vehicles, impairment detection and telematics hold promise to advance road safety. Ultimately, the transportation system will need to evolve to provide the safe, efficient, and equitable movement of people and goods without reliance on private vehicle ownership, towards encouraging walking, bicycling and the use of public transportation.

A systemic approach to road safety in the EU

The article considers the main directions for implementing the Road Safety Strategy for 2021-2030 adopted by the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the EU Road Safety Policy). It reveals targets and indicators of this Strategy and dwells on the Safe System approach to road safety, which is the basis of the EU Road Safety Policy. The Safe System is based on such concepts as Vision Zero and Sustainable Safety and influences the main elements of the road traffic system (vehicles, road network, road users) to ensure the safety of transportation. The comparative analysis of the EU Road Safety Policy and the Russian Road Safety Strategy for 2018-2024 has demonstrated similar directions in their implementation. However, the European document is characterized by a greater consistency and scientific validity of the measures being developed with due regard to the latest trends in the field of road traffic. The Road Safety Strategy adopted in Russia traditionally considers the violation of traffic rules by vehicle drivers.

Mixed-methods approach to describing Vision Zero initiatives in United States’ municipalities

Vision Zero (VZ) aims to reduce fatalities and serious injuries from road traffic crashes to zero through a Safe Systems approach. Little is known about the extent of uptake of VZ in the United States (US), or the attributes and functioning of the initiatives. Using a mixed-methods design, our objectives were to describe the status of VZ implementation and characteristics of those initiatives among US municipalities. Websites of all US municipalities with a population of at least 50,000 (n = 788) were searched to identify involvement in VZ. When initiatives were identified, we abstracted information from their website and other published documents, using a comprehensive framework of best practice VZ components. From the VZ initiatives identified, we interviewed representatives from 12 municipalities with diversity by region of the country, population size, and VZ implementation. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for themes. Through systematic web-based searching, we identified 86 of 788 (10.9%) municipalities with a VZ initiative. Among 314 larger municipalities (population >=100,000), 68 (21.7%) were identified. Among 476 medium-size municipalities (population of 50,000–99,999), 18 (3.8%) were identified. VZ initiatives began as early as 2014, starting with larger municipalities, and followed in 2015 with medium-size municipalities. Among the VZ initiatives, 58 (67.4%) recorded a vision statement, with 51 (59.3%) setting a target year to reach zero deaths. Thirty-nine (45.3%) had published VZ plans, with another 22 (25.6%) working towards a plan. Twenty-five initiatives (29.1%) shared resources across stakeholder groups, such as funding or staff. Forty-six initiatives (53.5%) had an established coalition, and 18 (20.9%) proposed or were developing a coalition. Twenty-six initiatives (30.2%) provided regular updates or evaluation on progress towards performance metrics, but only 4 (4.7%) had implemented a performance management system to regularly track progress on VZ-related actions. The interviews provided further context and a more detailed understanding of results. Documenting the characteristics of VZ initiatives among US municipalities can contribute to an understanding of current practice, potential opportunities to support ongoing initiatives, and information to assist new initiatives. Ultimately, the impact of municipal-level VZ efforts should be evaluated with regards to traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities.

Texting and crossing: An extended theory of planned behaviour to model the psychological and demographic factors related to pedestrians' use of cell phone for texting at crosswalks in developing country

The distraction of road users is one of the leading causes of road crashes. In general, distraction in road crashes is often associated with only driving, not walking, however, several studies have highlighted distracted walking as a major cause for road crashes and have also examined distracted walking behaviour and its causes, but there is a paucity of such kind of literature in the context of developing or low-income countries, such as India. This study sought to fill this gap by examining factors that influence pedestrians' use of cell phones for texting while crossing the roads in the city of Bhopal, India. In the present study analysis of psychological factors and socio-economic factors that contribute to distracted walking/crossing was analysed using an extended version of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM), this study confirmed the validity of items under each factor of the TPB and then employed SEM to investigate the relationship between the latent variables (attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behaviour control), and demographic characteristics (age, income, and gender) of pedestrians with their intention to text while crossing the street. The results obtained from SEM indicated that the intention to use cell phones for texting at crosswalks was negatively impacted by age, and positively impacted by income level. A significant influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour control was found on the intention to use cell phones. Perceived behaviour control (PBC) was found as the most influential factor for predicting pedestrian intentions to use cell phones, followed by Subjective norms (SN). In addition, perceived behaviour control and the intention to use a cell phone also significantly affected crossing behaviour. The findings from the present study can significantly contribute to enhancing pedestrian safety in transportation research, and a better understanding of the factors contributing to pedestrian fatalities could lead towards safe system approach.

How is the duration of distraction related to safety–critical events? Harnessing naturalistic driving data to explore the role of driving instability

Introduction: Due to a variety of secondary tasks performed by drivers, distracted driving has become a critical concern. At 50 mph, sending/reading a text for 5 seconds is equivalent to driving the length of a football field (360 ft) with eyes closed. A fundamental understanding of how distractions lead to crashes is needed to develop appropriate countermeasure strategies. A key question is whether distraction increases driving instability, which then further contributes to safety–critical events (SCEs). Methods: By harnessing newly available microscopic driving data and using the safe systems approach, a subsample of naturalistic driving study data were analyzed, collected through the second strategic highway research program. Rigorous path analysis (including Tobit and Ordered Probit regressions) is used to jointly model the instability in driving (using coefficient of variation of speed) and event outcomes (including baseline, near-crash, and crash). The marginal effects from the two models are used to compute direct, indirect, and total effects of distraction duration on SCEs. Results: Results indicate that a longer duration of distraction was positively but non-linearly associated with higher driving instability and higher chances of SCEs. Where, the chance of a crash and near-crash was higher by 34% and 40%, respectively, with a unit increase in driving instability. Based on the results, the chance of both SCEs significantly increases non-linearly with an increase in distraction duration beyond 3 seconds. For instance, the chance of a crash is 16% for a driver distracted for 3 seconds, which increases to 29% if a driver is distracted for 10 seconds. Conclusions and Practical Applications: Using path analysis, the total effects of distraction duration on SCEs are even higher when its indirect effects on SCEs through driving instability are considered. Potential practical implications including traditional countermeasures (changes in roadway environments) and vehicle technologies are discussed in the paper.

Identifying roadway departure crash patterns on rural two-lane highways under different lighting conditions: Association knowledge using data mining approach

Introduction: More than half of all fatalities on U.S. highways occur due to roadway departure (RwD) each year. Previous research has explored various risk factors that contribute to RwD crashes, however, a comprehensive investigation considering the effect of lighting conditions has been insufficiently addressed. Data: Using the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development crash database, fatal and injury RwD crashes occurring on rural two-lane (R2L) highways between 2008-2017 were analyzed based on daylight and dark (with and without streetlight). Method: This research employed a safe system approach to explore meaningful complex interactions among multidimensional crash risk factors. To accomplish this, an unsupervised data mining algorithm association rules mining (ARM) was utilized. Results and conclusions: Based on the generated rules, the findings reveal several interesting crash patterns in the daylight, dark-with-streetlight, and dark-no-streetlight, emphasizing the importance of investigating RwD crash patterns depending on the lighting conditions. In daylight condition, fatal RwD crashes are associated with cloudy weather conditions, distracted drivers, standing water on the roadway, no seat belt use, and construction zones. In dark lighting condition (with and without streetlight), the majority of the RwD crashes are associated with alcohol/drug involvement, young drivers (15–24 years), driver condition (e.g., inattentive, distracted, illness/fatigued/asleep), and colliding with animal(s). Practical Applications: The findings also reveal how certain driver behavior patterns are connected to RwD crashes, such as a strong association between alcohol/drug intoxication and no seat belt usage in the dark-no-streetlight condition. Based on the identified crash patterns and behavioral characteristics under different lighting conditions, the findings could aid researchers and safety specialists in developing the most effective RwD crash mitigation strategies.

A novel Vision Zero leadership training model to support collaboration and strategic action planning

Introduction: While collaboration and cooperation are regarded as foundational to Vision Zero (VZ) and Safe Systems initiatives, there is little guidance on structuring VZ collaboration, conducting collaborative goal setting, and aligning tangible action across organizations. As part of a larger VZ mutual learning model, we developed a VZ Leadership Team Institute to support communities in collaborative VZ strategic planning and goal setting. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and evaluation of the Institute, which can serve as a foundation for other initiatives seeking to move VZ planning and implementation forward in a collaborative, systems-aware manner.Methods: In June 2021, eight multi-disciplinary teams of 3–6 persons each (n = 42 participants) attended the Institute, representing leaders from communities of various sizes. Surveys were administered pre, immediately post, and 6 months following the Institute. We measured confidence in a range of skills (on a 5-point scale, 1: not confident to 5: very confident). Surveys also measured coalition collaboration pre-Institute and 6 months post-Institute (on a 4-point scale, 1: strongly disagree to 4: strongly agree).Results: The largest increases in confidence from pre- to immediately post-Institute were for collaboratively drafting objectives and actions for VZ goals (pre-mean: 2.6, SD: 0.9 to post-mean: 3.8, SD: 0.9); incorporating equity into goals (pre-mean: 2.8, SD: 1.0 to post-mean: 3.9, SD: 0.8); and knowing how to keep VZ planning and implementation efforts on track (pre-mean: 2.6, SD: 1.0 to post-mean: 3.7, SD: 0.7). For all measures, average confidence in skills decreased from immediately post-Institute to 6 months post-Institute, but remained greater than average scores pre-Institute. Several measures of coalition collaboration maintained high agreement across time, and mean agreement increased for reporting that the future direction of the coalition was clearly communicated to everyone (pre-mean: .6, SD: 0.8; 6 months post-mean: 3.1, SD: 0.4). However, average scores decreased for feeling like the coalition had adequate staffing (pre-mean: 3.0, SD: 0.6; 6 months post-mean: 2.3, SD: 0.5).Discussion: The Institute utilized innovative content, tools, and examples to support VZ coalitions’ collaborative and systems-aware planning and implementation processes. As communities work toward zero transportation deaths and serious injuries, providing effective support models to aid multidisciplinary planning and action around a Safe Systems approach will be important to accelerate progress toward a safer transportation system.

Effective road safety measures in Greece

The paper presents road safety actions and measures proposed in the framework of the development of the Greek Strategic Road Safety Plan for the period 2021-2030. Five road safety pillars that concern all road crash factors are outlined. For each pillar, actions and particular measures are defined, adapted to the Greek reality and based on the principles of Vision Zero and the Safe System Approach. In total, 44 actions and 200 road safety measures are foreseen and implementation priorities are defined. Next, the framework for monitoring the implementation of actions is presented, taking into account the elements of the Safe System Approach. The use of a set of key performance indicators for road safety is proposed and the methodological framework for the collection of the necessary data and the calculation of road safety performance indicators is provided.