Safe system or Stalinist system?
This paper assesses the Safe System’s claim that zero fatal and serious injuries are possible and shows it is not possible and its pursuit will worsen safety. Similarly, the focus on fatal and serious injuries is likely to result in more, not fewer, fatal and serious injury crashes. Applying public health strategies (i.e. population-level remedies on the majority who are at low risk) to road safety is currently fashionable, even though studies show it is not effective. However, combined with the distorted claim that ‘life is sacrosanct’, it has permitted a system to evolve which seeks to control and micro-manage drivers to lower the road toll. The paper reviews available evidence on safety and speed and draws a comparison with the noble principles of the Communist manifesto to explain the unforeseen, unintended consequences. A completely different ‘Safety Star System’ is put forward to replace the Safe System and avoid these unintended consequences.
- Record URL:
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Corporate Authors:
Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management (AITPM)
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Authors:
- Morgan, R
- Conference:
- Publication Date: 2018-7
Language
- English
Media Info
- Pagination: 15p
- Monograph Title: AITPM National Traffic and Transport Conference, 24-27 August 2018, Perth
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Fatalities; Highway safety; Injury rates; Speed control; Vehicle safety
- Geographic Terms: Australia
- ATRI Terms: Fatality rate; Injury rate; Road safety; Speed control; Vehicle safety
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01704340
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: ARRB
- Files: ITRD, ATRI
- Created Date: May 2 2019 2:21PM