Human factors issues

1. Human factors issues A discussion on selected topics Rob Methorst September 27, 2007

2. Outline • Introduction • Systems approach to Vulnerable Road Users • Safety Culture in Hazardous Goods Transport • Sustainable Road Safety – an update

3. Systems approach to Vulnerable Road Users • Issue and reason • VRU accidents do not follow trends • Neglected issue in research • Ageing of the population: expected mobility restraints and higher risks • Hidden single accidents (~70% of VRU victims (= 40% of all travel victims ER+)) • Activities: • 2003 report Vulnerable Road Users • policy development Vulnerable Road Users, particularly re. bicyclist • COST 358 Pedestrians’ Quality Needs • Focus on mobility needs, including safety • 6 Main elements

4. Vulnerable Road Users – Pizza model

5. Vulnerable Road Users - TRIPOD The developers’ (Prof. Wagenaar) dog had only 3 legs and was called ‘Driepoot’(English = Tripod)

6. Vulnerable Road Users - perspectives • Functional perspective: usage value, what is being offered = intrinsic quality supply, looking at the system from the ‘head’ 2. Perception perspective: what is being requested = subjective quality demand, looking at the system from the ‘heart’, including attitudes towards and of pedestrians. 3. Durability and Future Prospects: whilst # 1 and # 2 are static quality descriptions, # 3 refers to a dynamic perspective. Durability is, like user value and perception value, a relative value and depends on current qualities, future social values and future use of the physical environment and transport system.

7. Vulnerable road users – Hierarchy of needs

8. Vulnerable Road Users – Universal Design

9. Vulnerable Road Users – Cascade approach

10. Vulnerable Road Users - Discussion • What are ideas regarding making the principles operational? • What views and experiences are there in the USA regarding systems approach?

11. Safety Culture in Hazardous Goods Transport • Issue: feasibility of implementation of Safety Care Systems in the Hazardous Goods Transport industry. • Reason: pursuit of continuous improvement of safety as part of the Dutch policy note on HGT; catastrophic nature of accidents • Current situation: divers market situation; overall relatively safe • Pre-conditioning for measures not yet favourable • Policy scenarios: • Education, communication and enforcement • Using market mechanisms

12. Safety Culture in HGT – divers market The market: • International character • Many different players: • shippers (interests, imago) • large, medium sized and small transport firms (cost control, options for implementing SC) • mixed and specialised transporters • ‘rogue’ drivers and firms from the formal East Block • Charters • Many different products and clients • industrial chemicals • Gasses • Fuel distribution • Ammunition and fireworks • Waste and refuse transport • Specialised transport vehicles and containerization

13. Safety Culture in HGT – current situation • Hardly any serious accidents, but clearly a public fear - political item. • Hazardous Goods Traffic is very divers and relatively safe. Main distinction: • long distance bulk transport, medium and large firms; good safety record • Distribution = small firms; questionable safety record • Chemical industry (mainly petrochemicals) regulate transport safety • Distribution market parties are not interested in implementing Safety Culture

14. Safety Culture in HGT - trends Trends in Europe and NL: • Internationalisation • Common Market-effect; intake of new EU states and other former East European states • Outsourcing to cheap foreign drivers and small companies • Containerisation • Development of strong containers for fluids and gasses • Less special demand on driver/transporter skills and education • Fragmentation • Outsourcing transport by shippers • Outsourcing transport to former employees

15. Safety Culture in HGT – towards implementation • Pre-conditioning for measures • Vehicle requirements • License system • Liability transfer: insurance resolutive conditions • Policy scenarios: • ‘there is something for everybody’: problem awareness; analysis & quick wins; tailored solutions; building on current safety care; communition and education. • Market scenario: market mechanism; incentives; flanking policy; bonus/malus; integrated

16. Safety Culture - Discussion • Small companies inherently more unsafe? • Is outsourcing controllable? • What real options are there to implement Safety Management?

17. Sustainable Road Safety – an update • Reason: ambitious targets; limitation of traditional approaches re. achievements • Man is measure of things • Prevention is better than a curative approach • Road classification • Integrated policies • Safety principles See website: www.sustainablesafety.nl

18. Sustainable Road Safety – human centred Man is measure of things: • environment (road, vehicle) should conform to what humans are capable of and provide protection • humans should be properly instructed to prepare them for safe behaviour • Humans should eventually be supervised to see whether they are safe road users

19. Sustainable Road Safety: focus on prevention Primary preventive approach: • System approach, but focussed on safety • Prevention of latent errors that can lead to dangerous behaviour and ultimately crashes • Application of 5 safety principles ( 2 new) • Decentralisation of responsibilities and implementation • Supervision and inspection

20. Sustainable Safety - principles • Functionality of roads Roads should either flow (flow roads) or provide access (access roads) and are connected by distributor roads • Homogeneity of masses and/or speed and direction Vehicles that differ too much in mass or speed and that use the same space should be physically separated from each other • Predictability/ recognizability Layout of road and predictability of road course and road behaviour; self explaining roads, vehicles and human behaviour • Forgivingness Accidents should not lead to (severe) injury of death • State awareness capability or possibility of road users estimating own task competency correctly; every road users should know what his skills are and act accordingly

21. Sustainable Safety – effects and lessons • Since introduction many improvements • Road classification • Traffic Calming: > 50% of urban roads are 30 km/h • Roundabouts on distributor roads • Moped from cycle paths to carriage way • Shared responsibility National – Regional – Local authorities • Enhanced law enforcement: speeds, DUI, safety belt, bicycle lights • Impulse to traffic safety education • Too little focus on non-infrastructural aspects of the vision • Low cost implementation limits effectiveness

22. Sustainable Safety – issues Basic components: • Infrastructure • Vehicles • Education • Legislation and law enforcement Special issues: • Speed management • Drink-and-drug driving • Cyclists and pedestrians • Motorized two-wheelers • Heavy Goods Vehicles

23. Sustainable Safety – Light Rail example • Light rail: a come-back in urban areas in EU • Risk: • Level crossings • Relatively large mass • Silent vehicles • Evasive actions by light rail no option • Relatively low risk levels for cars, but VRU meet high fatality risk levels (bike 30x, pedestrian 40x) • Safety requirements: • Preferably different levels crossing • If not possible: • distributor road crossing only fully guarded • Property access roads: guarded • If not possible: Light Rail speeds less than 30 km/h at level crossings

24. Sustainable Safety - Discussion • Second generation policies: a bridge too far? • tackling current problems versus prevention: can it all be done? • making safety principles operational? • preconditions for success?