Defining safe systems: A review of the state-of-the-practice and leadership summit [R3]

The concept of a safe systems approach to traffic safety has been widely embraced by transportation professionals in the United States and beyond, though there remains little clear consensus on what is meant by a safe systems approach, nor how such an approach is to be meaningfully implemented. This effort will entail a review of the literature on safe systems to develop a single, working definition of the concept. This will be accomplished through two activities. The first is a comprehensive review of the literature on safe systems, as well as the related literature on safety-conscious planning and vision zero. The review will specifically seek to answer the following questions: What is meant by a safe systems approach, and how does it differ from conventional safety practices, if at all? Does the concept of safe systems differ across professional boundaries, such as traffic engineering, planning, law enforcement, or public health? If so, how? Are there shared themes or concepts in the different professional disciplines covered under the concept of safe systems? If so, what are they? Is there an interdisciplinary model for the development and execution of safe systems that may be applied to better reduce the incidence of traffic-related deaths and injuries? If not, does the literature suggest a model that might be adopted? The second activity will entail a safe systems summit, tentatively scheduled to occur in early 2018 and will bring together leaders in traffic safety-related disciplines to achieve the three following ends: To share knowledge on the development of a safe systems approach to traffic safety. To develop a shared understanding of safe systems that may be shared across disciplines. To provide the foundation for a book-length manuscript that will serve as a guide for future scholars and professionals seeking to advance safe systems. This manuscript will serve as a product of the Center’s forthcoming activities. The outcomes of the effort will entail a literature review, a safe systems summit, and published proceedings or a book manuscript detailing the results of the summit.