Road safety has always been a crucial
topic, with researchers and policymakers working hard to reduce accidents and
save lives. Traditionally, most efforts have focused on finding out what goes
wrong—studying crashes, near-misses, and risky behaviors, and then trying to
prevent them. But what if we also looked at what goes right on our roads? What
if we studied the ways people successfully avoid accidents and stay safe, even
in challenging situations? This new way of thinking is called the Safety-II approach, and it could change
how we make our roads safer for everyone.
Understanding the
Two Approaches: Safety-I vs. Safety-II
Safety-I is the traditional way of managing
safety. It focuses on:
·
Investigating
accidents and incidents to find their causes
·
Trying to
prevent failures, errors, and rule-breaking
·
Using
rules and procedures to control how people behave
·
Measuring
safety by the absence of accidents
This approach has helped reduce
accidents, but it often sees humans as the main cause of problems and focuses
mostly on what went wrong.
Safety-II, on the other hand, is a newer idea.
It focuses on:
·
Understanding
how things usually go right, not just when they go wrong
·
Learning
from everyday successes and positive behaviors
·
Seeing
humans as a resource for flexibility and resilience, not just as a source of
error
·
Measuring
safety by the presence of successful, safe outcomes
Safety-II asks, “How do people adapt
and make things work, even when conditions are tough or unexpected?” Instead of
only fixing problems after they happen, Safety-II tries to build on what works
well to keep everyone safe.
Why Do We Need
Safety-II in Road Safety?
Most of the time, millions of people
use roads safely every day. Accidents are actually rare compared to the total
number of journeys. By only studying crashes, we miss out on learning from the
huge number of times when drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians successfully avoid
danger—sometimes by quick thinking, good habits, or adapting to new situations.
For example:
·
A driver
who slows down when it starts raining, even if there’s no rule telling them to
·
A cyclist
who signals clearly before turning, helping others anticipate their movement
·
A
pedestrian who waits for a speeding car to pass, even when they have the right
of way
These aren’t just the absence of
mistakes—they are positive actions that keep everyone safer.
How Can We Apply
Safety-II to Road Safety?
1. Learn
from the Full Range of Behaviors
Instead of only focusing on accidents and near-misses, we can study all types
of road interactions, especially the “undisturbed” ones where nothing goes
wrong. By understanding what people do right, we can encourage these behaviors
in others.
2.
Identify and Encourage Optimal Driving
Optimal driving isn’t about being perfect; it’s about making the best choices
given the situation. For example, maintaining a safe distance, adjusting speed
for conditions, or anticipating hazards. By using data from sensors, driving
apps, or insurance programs, we can spot drivers who consistently show safe
behaviors and learn from them.
3. Use
Modern Data and Technology
With new technology, we can collect a lot of data about how people drive, not
just when they crash. This includes information from vehicle sensors,
smartphones, and even wearable devices. Analyzing this data can help us find
patterns of safe behavior and design better training, alerts, and road systems.
4.
Combine Both Approaches
Safety-I and Safety-II are not enemies—they can work together. We still need to
investigate accidents and fix problems, but we should also look for ways to
support and spread the positive actions that keep people safe every day.
Opportunities and
Challenges
Opportunities:
·
By
learning from successes, we can design better driver education and technology
that supports safe behavior.
·
We can
develop more human-friendly automated driving systems that mimic the best of
human adaptability.
·
Understanding
positive behaviors can help us set new safety goals and policies that go beyond
just reducing crashes.
Challenges:
·
It can be
hard to measure “success” because it often looks like nothing happened.
·
Road
safety involves many different people and situations, so positive behaviors may
vary widely.
·
We need
new ways to collect and analyze data about everyday road use, not just
accidents.
Conclusion
The Safety-II approach offers a fresh perspective on road safety. Instead of only trying to prevent things from going wrong, it encourages us to study and promote what goes right. By understanding and supporting the positive actions that keep people safe, we can build a more resilient and adaptable road system—one that not only avoids accidents but also helps everyone succeed in staying safe, every day.