Systems Thinking in Transport Safety

This report documents TRL’s investigation into the adoption and application of systems thinking tools within the transport discipline to support road safety management.

https://www.trl.co.uk/publications/systems-thinking-in-transport-safety

This landmark guide introduces how systems thinking can transform transport safety. By looking beyond individual incidents and instead at the interconnected systems of people, machines, and environments, we can better anticipate risks, prevent accidents, and ultimately save lives.

It covers a review of available literature, an assessment of 22 prominent systems tools, an assessment of their performance and their suitability for application with regards to making change within the transport sector. In doing so this investigation seeks to provide helpful insights to those who develop, operate and use transport systems as they endeavour to develop more integrated networks and reduce the levels of safety risk experienced by all parties.