Systems thinking in the context of road safety: Can systems tools help us realize a true "Safe Systems" approach?

Abstract

Purpose of review: Road traffic injuries are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and globally. We introduce the Safe Systems approach as a promising paradigm for road safety practice and describe how systems thinking tools can help bridge the gap between the current status quo and a Safe Systems approach.

Recent findings: Systems thinking tools can help us align with a Safe Systems approach by identifying latent risks in the transportation system, examining factors that coalesce to produce high travel speeds and kinetic energy transfer, and supporting safety prioritization through goal alignment.

Summary: The Safe Systems approach represents a significant change in the way we have historically designed transportation systems; it puts safety at the forefront and calls for designing a system that accounts for human fallibility. Operationalizing holistic Safe Systems concepts may be difficult, but systems thinking tools can help. Systems thinking tools provide a common language for individuals from diverse disciplines and sectors to express their unique understanding of the interconnected factors shaping road safety problems and support discussions about potential solutions that align with a Safe Systems approach.

Keywords: Safe Systems; causal loop diagram; injury prevention; road safety; systems thinking; transportation.

FIGURE 1.

Example causal loop diagram demonstrating interactions between vehicle speeds, sprawl, and crash risk [Note: A causal arrow between two variables with a “+” sign indicates that as one variable increases (decreases), the other variable increases (decreases), as well, i.e., moves in the same direction. A causal arrow between two variables with a “−” sign indicates that as one variable increases (decreases), the other variable decreases (increases), i.e., moves in the opposite direction. “R” denotes a reinforcing feedback loop that amplifies change, and “B” denotes a balancing feedback loop that counteracts change.]