Influences on decision-making in road safety

Abstract

This paper extends work previously undertaken to map the actors involved in the road transport industry at a municipal level in the UK (Staton et al., 2022) and explores the decision-making of, and relationships between, key actors with regard to road safety intervention. Interviews were undertaken with a stratified sample of 21 key actors which reinforce previous findings that the predominant approach to road safety problems remains person-based as opposed to system-based and that interrelationships and formal partnerships between actors are key in influencing local decision-making.The role of public perception, lobbying, and silo working are highlighted as key barriers to implementing evidence-based practice, while cross-departmental working and the use of financial levers are considered important facilitators and are needed to support those key actors who are embracing system-based approaches. One such approach identified by participants is the Vision Zero / Safe Systems approach to road safety and it is considered its political acceptance enables a pragmatic shift within the industry towards system-based approaches.