Risk Theory Handbook
Category: Publications
Publication: Draft update (25/11/2010)
Author: Professor John Adams
Managing transport risks: what works?
“What does a transport safety regulator have in common with a shaman conducting a rain dance? They both have an inflated opinion of the effectiveness of their interventions in the functioning of the complex interactive systems they purport to influence or control.”
So begins John Adams’ latest summary of his fundamental critique of most safety initiatives. As the UK announces its support for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, Adams’ paper raises important and uncomfortable questions for the myriad of government departments and institutions concerned with reducing death and injuries on roads.
The recent Edmunds’ Road Safety Conference in Washington DC illustrated the importance of such issues in countries wedded to Health & Safety principles.
A “must-read” for anyone interested in road safety!