The 2022 National Roadway adopted Safe System Approach
(SSA
), which is a decade old method applied in Sweden in the 1990s. Later, Australia and New Zealand adopted SSA and during the last 20 years, these countries reduced fatalities by nearly 50% while U.S. reduced fatalities by less than 20%. Additionally, during 2020-2021, fatalities increased by around 7% compared to the earlier years. Thus, there is an urgance for using SSA in the U.S. to reduce traffic crashes and crash involved injuries. The U.S. based SSA considers an additional pillar (post-crash care
) compared to the SSA used in other countries. The other four pillars are: safe road users
, safe roads
, safe vehicles
, and safe speeds
. It is now true that there will be many new programs, and funding opportunities for SSA based analysis in the U.S. As the U.S. safety researchers are not familiar with the SSA, there is a need for a place to have it all
and this GitHub page aims to fill the gap.
A Thirty minute video on Safe System Approach
We need your contributions!
If you have any suggestions (missing papers, new papers, key researchers or typos), please feel free to edit and pull a request.
[Note" ❤️: Noteworthy; 🚩: Non-peer reviewed (use with caution); 🏁: Extended Abstract]
- National Roadway Safety Strategy (2022) [pdf] [website]
transportation secretary
❤️ - USDOT Safe Systems (SS) Brochure (2021) [pdf] [website] ❤️
- Integrating SS System (2020) [pdf]
- Safe System Resources Wunderlich and Paniati (2022) [website]
- VZ Roundtable Report (2022) [pdf]
- Recommendation to SS COnsortium (2021) [pdf] ❤️
- Case Studies of SS in the U.S. (2021) [pdf]
- A SS Framework and Analytics for Intersections Porter et al. (2021) [pdf]
intersection
❤️ - Public Road Magazine: SS Issue (2021) [pdf] ❤️
- SSA with HSIP Finkel et al. (2020) [pdf]
HSIP
- Public Roads SS Issue (2022) [pdf] ❤️
- Road to Zero: SS Strategic Plan Abel et al. (2022) [pdf] ❤️
- SS Synthesis North Carolina (2018) [pdf]
synthesis
❤️
- Improving the Performance of SS Infrastructure Jurewicz et al. (2015) [pdf]
safe roads
- SS Assessment Framework Turner et al. (2016) [pdf]
assessment
- Rollover Crashes: Risk Factors and Solutions Jurewicz et al. (2019) [pdf]
rollover
❤️ - Guide to Road Safety. 01. Introduction and SS (2021) [pdf] ❤️
- Guide to Road Safety. 02. Safe Roads (2021) [pdf]
safe roads
❤️ - Guide to Road Safety. 03. Safe Speeds (2021) [pdf]
safe speeds
❤️ - Guide to Road Safety. 04. Safe Road Users (2021) [pdf]
safe users
❤️ - Guide to Road Safety. 05. Safe Vehicles (2021) [pdf]
safe vehicles
❤️ - Guide to Road Safety. 06. Road Safety Audit (2021) [pdf]
audit
❤️ - Guide to Road Safety. 07. Strategy and Management (2021) [pdf] ❤️
- SS for Local Government McTiernan et al. (2016) [pdf]
local
- Inclusion of Recent Road Safety Research into the Guide to Road Design Aumann (2020) [pdf]
design
- Integrating SS with Movement and Place for VRUs Corben (2020) [pdf]
vru
- Local Government Road Safety Management Guidance Durdin and Tuke (2020) [pdf]
vru
- Incorporating the SS and sociodemographics Shi et al. (2013) [pdf] 🚩
- Striving for SS speeds Beer (2011) [pdf]
safe speeds
- Classifying SS Fatalities Smith et al. (2011) [pdf]
crash
- Greater understanding of rear-end crashes in a SS Beck (2015) [pdf]
crash
- Comparing crashes: A SS analysis Mackie et al. (2018) [pdf]
crash
🏁 - ISO 39001: A New Tool for SS Crackel and Small (2010) [pdf]
tool
- Effective use of clear zones and barriers in a SS context Doecke and Woolley (2010) [pdf]
- Increasing SS Awareness Harrison et al. (2011) [pdf]
- SS Infrastructure Hall (2011) [pdf]
safe roads
- Risk-based approach to speed limits Jurewics and Turner (2011) [pdf]
safe speeds
- Understanding and Implementing SS approach Brodie (2012) [pdf]
- High risk intersections: making sense of SS in practice Hughes and Durdin (2012) [pdf]
intersection
- A SS-based approach to selection of clear zones Jurewicz and Troutbeck (2012) [pdf]
clear zone
- Exploring the application of the SS approach to cycling Shaw et al. (2012) [pdf]
vru
- SS for sustainable pedestrian safety Hoque et al. (2013) [pdf]
vru
🚩 - The SS in Practice Climo et al. (2013) [pdf]
- Designing a SS for vulnerable road users Bolitho (2014) [pdf]
vru
🚩 - The SS eLearning Module Waller and Cockfield (2014) [pdf] 🚩
- Priorities for crash countermeasures Cairney et al. (2014) [pdf]
crash
- Speed limit setting and the SS principle Mooren et al. (2014) [pdf]
safe speeds
- SS Roads for Local Government Campion and McTiernan (2015) [pdf] 🚩
- Undertaking a SS Audit Beer et al. (2016) [pdf] 🏁
- The SS: Preventing crashes by preventing errors Hatfield and Brown (2016) [pdf]
crash
🏁 - 'Safer Together' - Aligning Queensland's Natural Gas E&P Industry 'Safe Systems Approach' Pearce and Pearson (2016) [pdf] 🏁
- The SS Hierarchy of Control Framework McTiernan and Rensen (2016) [pdf]
- Development and use of the Austroads SS Assessment Framework Turner and Jurewicz (2016) [pdf]
imp
- Exploring the SS in a World of Autonomous Vehicles Young and Beer (2017) [pdf]
cav
🏁 - Towards a Complete Description of the SS Holgate (2017) [pdf]
- Integrating SS principles into Road Safety Auditing Beer et al. (2019) [pdf]
audit
🏁 - SS Assessment Beer et al. (2018) [pdf]
assessment
🏁 - Use of the SS Assessment Framework Capper et al. (2018) [pdf]
assessment
🏁 - Putting SS into practice Coulson and Cassar (2018) [pdf] 🏁
- Can Mobility Management Deliver the Next Step-change Towards SS Jurewicz et al. (2018) [pdf] 🏁
- Focusing Investment on Zero Luzan (2018) [pdf] 🏁
- Comparing crashes: A SS analysis Mackie et al. (2018) [pdf]
crash
🏁 - The challenges of coordinating a multi-agency SS approach Norberg et al. (2019) [pdf] 🏁
- Integrating SS principles Peterson and Harrison (2018) [pdf] 🏁
- Delivering SS outcomes Steinmetz et al. (2018) [pdf] 🏁
- The safety impacts and program benefits of SS Assessments Turner and Moon (2019) [pdf]
assessment
🏁 - Applying SS and increasing stakeholder engagement Wilson-Ridley et al. (2019) [pdf] 🏁
- Can Mobility Management Deliver the Next Step-change Jurewicz et al. (2018) [pdf]
- Ensuring Return on Investment Luzan and Corben (2018) [pdf]
- SS Review of Fatal Crashes Hodgson et al. (2019) [pdf]
crash
🏁 - Road user perception of safety Stokes et al. (2019) [pdf]
safe users
- Developing SS projects in Africa Usami et al. (2019) [pdf]
- Use of the SS Assessment Framwork McHeim et al. (2021) [pdf]
assessment
- Vulnerable road users in a SS Bailey and Woolley (N.D.) [pdf]
vru
- Rationalisation of speed limits Cameron (N.D.) [pdf]
safe speeds
- The Use of a Safety Platform at an Intersection Candappa et al. (N.D.) [pdf]
intersection
- Non-motor vehicle related pedestrian injury Frith and Thomas (N.D.) [pdf]
vru
crash
- Re-invigorating and refining SS advocacy Job (N.D.) [pdf]
- Assessing and Managing Older Drivers' Crash Risk Langford and Oxley (N.D.) [pdf]
safe users
- The Robustly-Safe Automated Driving System Liu et al. (2017) [pdf]
- The Safe System- Are We on The Wrong Track Mackenzie (N.D.) [pdf]
- Techniques for Paradigm Improvements McLean (N.D.) [pdf]
- Understanding Driving Culture: SS and the ACT Wright and Gibson (2010) [pdf]
safety culture
- SS Demonstration Project Senserrick et al. (N.D.) [pdf]
demonstration
- Exploring an application of the SS Approach Shaw et al. (N.D.) [pdf]
demonstration
- Learnings from Phase One of WALGA's Local Government SS Project Smithson et al. (N.D.) [pdf]
local
- Measuring the Influence of the Road and Roadside in the SS Stephan and Newstead (N.D.) [pdf]
roadside
- Developing an optimised safety management philosophy Tate and Brodie (N.D.) [pdf]
safety management
- 2005 Vol. 16 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2006 Vol. 17 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2006 Vol. 17 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2006 Vol. 17 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2006 Vol. 17 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2007 Vol. 18 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2007 Vol. 18 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2007 Vol. 18 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2007 Vol. 18 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2008 Vol. 19 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2008 Vol. 19 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2008 Vol. 19 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2008 Vol. 19 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2009 Vol. 20 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2009 Vol. 20 Issue 02 [pdf]
rollover
- 2009 Vol. 20 Issue 03 [pdf]
safety strategy
- 2009 Vol. 20 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2010 Vol. 21 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2010 Vol. 21 Issue 02 [pdf]
safe roads
- 2010 Vol. 21 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2010 Vol. 21 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2011 Vol. 22 Issue 01 [pdf]
young drivers
- 2011 Vol. 22 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2011 Vol. 22 Issue 03 [pdf]
heavty vehicles
- 2011 Vol. 22 Issue 04 [pdf]
safety message
- 2012 Vol. 23 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2012 Vol. 23 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2012 Vol. 23 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2012 Vol. 23 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2013 Vol. 24 Issue 01 [pdf]
safe people
- 2013 Vol. 24 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2013 Vol. 24 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2013 Vol. 24 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2014 Vol. 25 Issue 01 [pdf]
safe speeds
- 2014 Vol. 25 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2014 Vol. 25 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2014 Vol. 25 Issue 04 [pdf]
cycling
- 2015 Vol. 26 Issue 01 [pdf]
nds
- 2015 Vol. 26 Issue 02 [pdf]
trauma
- 2015 Vol. 26 Issue 03 [pdf]
safe roads
- 2015 Vol. 26 Issue 04 [pdf]
interlock
- 2016 Vol. 27 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2016 Vol. 27 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2016 Vol. 27 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2016 Vol. 27 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2017 Vol. 28 Issue 01 [pdf]
- 2017 Vol. 28 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2017 Vol. 28 Issue 03 [pdf]
- 2017 Vol. 28 Issue 04 [pdf]
- 2018 Vol. 29 Issue 01 [pdf]
injury
- 2018 Vol. 29 Issue 02 [pdf]
big data
- 2018 Vol. 29 Issue 03 [pdf]
impaired
- 2018 Vol. 29 Issue 04 [pdf]
older
- 2019 Vol. 30 Issue 01 [pdf]
cellphone
local
- 2019 Vol. 30 Issue 02 [pdf]
- 2019 Vol. 30 Issue 03 [pdf]
aggressive
- 2019 Vol. 30 Issue 04 [pdf]
speeding
roundabout
- 2020 Vol. 31 Issue 01 [pdf]
crash
risk
- 2020 Vol. 31 Issue 02 [pdf]
crash
- 2020 Vol. 31 Issue 03 [pdf]
spd manage
vru
- 2020 Vol. 31 Issue 04 [pdf]
hotspot
- 2021 Vol. 32 Issue 01 [pdf]
ss
- 2021 Vol. 32 Issue 02 [pdf]
crash
- 2021 Vol. 32 Issue 03 [pdf]
spd manage
impaired
- 2021 Vol. 32 Issue 04 [pdf]
spd manage
- 01. SS Foundation [pdf] ❤️
- 02. System Failure [pdf] ❤️
- 03. Evolution of SS [pdf] ❤️
- 04. Conventional vs. SS [pdf] ❤️
- 05. Safer Speeds [pdf] ❤️
- 06. Leap out a Building [pdf] ❤️
- 07. Leap out a Building [pdf] ❤️
- 07. Road Departure and Head-on Collisions [pdf] ❤️
- 07a. SS Infrastructure [pdf] ❤️
- 08. Speed Management [pdf] ❤️
- 09. Intersections [pdf] ❤️
- 10. SS Implementation [pdf] ❤️
- VZ: An Ethical Approach Tingbell and Haworth (1999) [pdf] ❤️
- The Use of Real life Crash Stigson (1999) [pdf] ❤️
- A new accident model for engineering safer systems Leveson (2004) [pdf]
- Vision Zero – Implementing a policy for traffic safety Johansson (2009) [pdf] ❤️
- An Improved System Safety Analysis Method Based on Accimap Gao et al. (2015) [pdf]
- Exploration of vehicle impact speed Jurewicz et al. (2016) [pdf]
- Application of a crash-predictive risk assessment model Jurewicz and Excel (2016) [pdf]
- Exploration of vehicle impact speed Jurewicz et al. (2016) [pdf]
- Case studies of probe speed data Jurewicz (2019) [pdf]
- Safe System in road safety public policy Green et al. (2021) [pdf]
- An exploration of alternative intersection designs in the context of SS Candappa et al. (N.D.) [pdf]
- Asessing the 'system' in SS-based road designs Cornelissen et al. (N.D.) [pdf]
- Safe System in road safety public policy: A case study from Victoria, Australia Green et al. (2022) [link] ❤️
- Safe System for Intersections Method Scoring: Comparing Intersection Alternatives Based on Exposure, Kinetic Energy Management, and Movement Complexity Dunn et al. (2022) [link] ❤️
- Development of KEMM Corben (2010) [pdf] ❤️
- Towards a SS of Cycling NZ Transport Agency (2017) [pdf]
- High-risk rural roads guide NZ Transport Agency (2011) [pdf]
rural
❤️ - Safe Speed factsheet NZ Transport Agency (2011) [pdf]
rural
❤️ - SS Brochure NZ [pdf] ❤️
- Saving Lives Beyond 2020 Sweden [pdf] ❤️
- SS Factsheet ROSPA (2018) [pdf]
- Sustainable and Safe World Resource Institute [pdf]
- The SSA in Action International Transportation Forum (2022) [pdf]
- Motorcycling and the SS Holgate (2011) [pdf]
motorcycle
- Making Roundabouts a SS Solution for Motorcyclists Beer et al. (2014) [pdf]
motorcycle
🚩 - A SS Response: Protecting Motorcyclists Sirol et al. (2019) [pdf]
motorcycle
🏁 - MotoSafe: Active Safe System for Digital Forensics of Motorcycle Rider with Android Condro et al. (2012) [pdf]
motorcycle
- Towards a Safe System Approach to Prevent Health Loss among Motorcyclists Rizzi (2016) [pdf]
motorcycle
thesis
- The Global Motorcycle Industry’s Approach to Road Safety IMMA (2019) [pdf]
motorcycle
- Motorcycle Crashes in Australia (2020) [pdf]
motorcycle
- NSW Motorcycle Safety Strategy 2012 – 2021 (2021) [pdf]
motorcycle
- Motorcycle safety in Western Australia Hobday (2019) [pdf]
motorcycle
- Improving Safety for Motorcycle, Scooter and Moped Riders OECD (2020) [pdf]
motorcycle
- Motorcycle Crash Budd et al. (2018) [pdf]
motorcycle
- Book Safe System or Stalinist System?: Road Safety at Any Cost, Rob Morgan, 2018
The Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety (CSCRS) is a National University Transportation Center supporting the FAST Act research priority of promoting safety. Note that this UTC promotes Safe SystemS, not exactly Safe System.
- CAVs and VRUs: A Systems Approach McDonald et al. (2018) [pdf]
cav
vru
- An Enhanced Systematic Approach to Roadway Safety Grembek et al. (2019) [pdf]
- Structures of Stakeholders Relationship LaJenueese et al. (2019) [pdf]
- Implementating SS in the U.S.: Lesson from International Practice Dumbaugh et al. (2019) [pdf]
- NCHRP 17-113: Incorporating Safe System Approach into the NCHRP Report 500 Series (2024) [link]
ssa
nchrp
- NCHRP 17-125: uide for Applying Safe System Principles in the Road Safety Audit Process (2024) [link]
ssa
nchrp
rsa
- Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices: DOT Practices on Road Safety Audits (2022) [link]
ssa
nchrp
- NCHRP 20-24(145): Harnessing the Safe System Approach to Meaningfully Improve Traffic Safety (2023) [link]
ssa
nchrp
- NCHRP 17-101: Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations in the United States (UNC, 2023) [link]
ssa
nchrp