title: Do not blame the driver: a systems analysis of the causes of road freight crashes.
abstract: Although many have advocated a systems approach in road transportation, this view has not meaningfully penetrated road safety research, practice or policy. In this study, a systems theory-based approach, Rasmussens's (1997) risk management framework and associated Accimap technique, is applied to the analysis of road freight transportation crashes. Twenty-seven highway crash investigation reports were downloaded from the National Transport Safety Bureau website. Thematic analysis was used to identify the complex system of contributory factors, and relationships, identified within the reports. The Accimap technique was then used to represent the linkages and dependencies within and across system levels in the road freight transportation industry and to identify common factors and interactions across multiple crashes. The results demonstrate how a systems approach can increase knowledge in this safety critical domain, while the findings can be used to guide prevention efforts and the development of system-based investigation processes for the heavy vehicle industry. A research agenda for developing an investigation technique to better support the application of the Accimap technique by practitioners in road freight transportation industry is proposed.
authors: Monash University Accident Research Centre, Monash Injury Research Institute, Building 70, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia. Electronic address: sharon.newnam@monash.edu.
authors: Sharon
authors: S
authors: Newnam
authors: University of the Sunshine Coast Accident Research, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia.
authors: Natassia
authors: N
authors: Goode
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015984:Causality; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012449:Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013597:Systems Analysis; D013598:Systems Theory
keywords: Heavy vehicles; Road freight transportation; Safety; Systems theory