Road Safety Management
The outer layer of the Safe System Approach addresses Road Safety Management, which is essential for the successful implementation and sustainability of road safety strategies.
This page provides an overview of the outer layer of the Safe System and its role in supporting the core principles. It also explores the implementation gap, which bridges the outer layer with the core, ensuring road safety measures are applied effectively and continuously improved.
Key Elements of Road Safety Management
The following content highlights the core elements of effective road safety management. Each element is explained with a focus on its role in promoting safer road environments and fostering collaborative efforts to reduce risks and improve outcomes.
Funding
Funding secures the necessary resources to implement impactful safety initiatives. It ensures the sustainability of long-term strategies that address road safety challenges.
Legislating
Legislation defines the rules and frameworks required to create safer road environments. It is crucial for enforcing compliance and supporting the effective governance of road safety measures.
Coordinating
Coordination brings together stakeholders from various sectors to align their efforts and act in harmony. It maximises the effectiveness of road safety initiatives through collaboration.
Promoting
Promotion increases public awareness of road safety issues and encourages behavioural changes. It plays a vital role in fostering safer practices through educational campaigns and outreach.
Monitoring & Evaluation
Monitoring and evaluation involve assessing the performance of road safety measures through data-driven processes. By leveraging data, these efforts refine strategies and ensure continuous improvement in achieving safer road environments.
Research & Development (R&D) and Transferring Knowledge
Research and development focus on creating innovative solutions to emerging road safety challenges. Knowledge transfer ensures that effective practices are shared and applied across stakeholders to enhance overall safety.
The Implementation Gap:
Bridging the Outer Layer and the Core Principles
The implementation gap between the outer layer and the core principles of the Safe System Approach (Safe Roads, Safe Speeds, Safe Vehicles, Safe People, Post-Collision Response) is a critical challenge in achieving road safety objectives.
This gap can be effectively addressed through a model focusing on Commitment, Capacity, Capability, and Culture, which are further explained below:
Commitment refers to the strong leadership, stakeholder ownership, and sufficient resources needed to achieve its goals effectively. When Government agencies and politicians have a commitment to road safety this provides the support needed to make the roads safer.
Capacity refers to equipping organisations with the resources and funding required to deliver results, such as reducing road traffic collisions.
Culture refers to the shared ambitions, common values, and unified language that align all stakeholders, including road users, toward the goal of reducing road harm through the application of the Safe System approach. This encompasses pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, motorists, and commercial drivers, ensuring everyone plays a role in achieving this goal.