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Systems
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Application of the Safe System Approach to Transportation
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Application of the Safe System Approach to Transportation

A special issue of Systems (ISSN 2079-8954). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems Practice in Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 3510

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Davide Shingo Usami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for Transport and Logistics (CTL), Sapienza Università di Roma, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: road safety; impact assessment of innovative mobility systems; accident causation; transport systems engineering; public transport systems monitoring
Dr. Brayan González-Hernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (DICEA), University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: road safety; sustainable mobility; transport planning and policy, with a particular focus in developing countries

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of the Safe System approach to transportation emphasizes a holistic strategy to enhance safety across all transportation modes. Rather than focusing solely on individual driver behavior, this approach considers the broader system, including vehicle technology, infrastructure, policies, and human factors. By integrating engineering solutions, education, enforcement, and emergency response, the Safe System approach aims to reduce risks and prevent accidents. It promotes collaboration among stakeholders—such as government agencies, transport operators, and the public—to create a safer, more resilient transportation network.

This Special Issue seeks contributions that identify new and innovative methods to assist with applying the Safe System approach to transportation, including transport systems analysis, design, and operation. The contributions will be presented to practitioners, researchers, and legislators, who will be provided with ideas and tools that will lead to a safer transport system.

Original research and review papers are being sought in the areas:

  • Safe System approach in safety funding, planning, and programs;
  • Role of human factors in the Safe System approach to transportation;
  • Integration of advanced vehicle technologies in the Safe System approach;
  • Policy and governance in the Safe System approach to transportation;
  • The role of infrastructure in the Safe System approach;
  • Public health implications of the Safe System approach to transportation;
  • Effectiveness of the Safe System approach in transportation;
  • Application of the Safe System approach to freight and commercial transport;
  • Case/pilot studies in the Safe System approach to transportation;
  • Transferability to other modes of transport.

Dr. Davide Shingo Usami
Dr. Brayan González-Hernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • transportation safety
  • safe system approach
  • systemic safety
  • road safety
  • accident prevention
  • human factors in transportation
  • transport safety technologies
  • traffic safety policies
  • risk management
  • transportation network safety
  • transferability

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 5067 KB  
Article
Collision Avoidance Strategy by Utilizing Safety Envelope for Automated Driving System: Hazardous Situation Case
by Mingwei Gao and Hidekazu Nishimura
Systems 2026, 14(1), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010089 - 14 Jan 2026
Viewed by 460
Abstract
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) must dynamically maintain sufficient safe distances from surrounding vehicles to ensure safety. Many existing studies have focused on collisions avoidance, such as the safety ranges in a rectangular shape that consider only longitudinal safe distance. A safety envelope is proposed [...] Read more.
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) must dynamically maintain sufficient safe distances from surrounding vehicles to ensure safety. Many existing studies have focused on collisions avoidance, such as the safety ranges in a rectangular shape that consider only longitudinal safe distance. A safety envelope is proposed herein, which is geometrically constructed from four quarter ellipses that account for longitudinal and lateral safe distances. The origin of the safety envelope is placed at the AV’s center of gravity. Using the safety envelope, a potential collision is identified when any surrounding vehicle enters it. To sustain the safety envelope even under hazardous situations, a collision avoidance strategy is introduced. In this strategy, the AV dynamically adjusts its velocity or changes lanes with velocity adjusting by assessing the risk level, complexity level, and riding comfort. For the lane-changing maneuvers, a virtual vehicle is introduced to be placed in the target lane to guide the AV’s movement. The efficacy of this strategy is verified via a simulation under a hazardous situation involving an AV and six human-driven vehicles driving on a highway. Results show that the proposed collision avoidance strategy utilizing safety envelope effectively ensures the safety of AV and surrounding vehicles, even under hazardous situations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of the Safe System Approach to Transportation)
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25 pages, 2694 KB  
Article
Minimum Risk Maneuver Strategy for Automated Driving System Under Multiple Conditions of Sensor Failure
by Junjie Tang, Chengxin Yang and Hidekazu Nishimura
Systems 2026, 14(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010087 - 13 Jan 2026
Viewed by 582
Abstract
To ensure the safety of vehicles and occupants under failures or functional limitations of ego vehicles, a minimum risk maneuver (MRM) has been proposed as a key automated driving system (ADS) function. However, executing an MRM may pose certain potential risks when sensor [...] Read more.
To ensure the safety of vehicles and occupants under failures or functional limitations of ego vehicles, a minimum risk maneuver (MRM) has been proposed as a key automated driving system (ADS) function. However, executing an MRM may pose certain potential risks when sensor failures occur. This study proposed an MRM strategy designed to enhance highway-driving safety during MRM execution under multiple sensor-failure conditions. A hazard and operability study analysis, based on an ADS behavior model, is conducted to systematically identify hazards, determine potential hazardous events, and categorize the associated safety risks arising from sensor failures. Within the proposed strategy, virtual objects are generated to account for potential hazards and support risk assessments. Adaptive MRM behavior is determined in real time by analyzing surrounding objects and evaluating time-to-collision and time headway. The strategy is verified by using a MATLAB–CARLA co-simulation environment across three representative highway scenarios with combined sensor failures. The result demonstrates that the proposed MRM strategy can mitigate collision risk in hazardous scenarios while effectively leveraging the remaining functional sensors to guide the ego vehicle toward an appropriate minimum risk condition during MRM execution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of the Safe System Approach to Transportation)
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21 pages, 7366 KB  
Article
A GIS-Based Safe System Approach for Risk Assessment in the Transportation of Dangerous Goods: A Case Study in Italian Regions
by Angela Maria Tomasoni, Abdellatif Soussi, Enrico Zero and Roberto Sacile
Systems 2025, 13(7), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13070580 - 14 Jul 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1741
Abstract
The Dangerous Goods Transportation (DGT) presents significant challenges, requiring a strong and systematic risk assessment framework to ensure the safety and efficiency of the supply chain. This study addresses a critical gap by integrating a deterministic and holistic approach to risk assessment and [...] Read more.
The Dangerous Goods Transportation (DGT) presents significant challenges, requiring a strong and systematic risk assessment framework to ensure the safety and efficiency of the supply chain. This study addresses a critical gap by integrating a deterministic and holistic approach to risk assessment and management. Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), meteorological data, and material-specific information, the research develops a data-driven approach to identify analyze, evaluate, and mitigate risks associated with DGT. The main objectives include monitoring dangerous goods flows to identify critical risk areas, optimizing emergency response using a shared model, and providing targeted training for stakeholders involved in DGT. The study leverages Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to systematically collect, interpret, and evaluate data, producing detailed risk scenario maps. These maps are instrumental in identifying vulnerable areas, predicting potential accidents, and assessing the effectiveness of risk management strategies. This work introduces an innovative GIS-based risk assessment model that combines static and dynamic data to address various aspects of DGT, including hazard identification, accident prevention, and real-time decision support. The results contribute to enhancing safety protocols and provide actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to improve the resilience of technological systems for road transport networks handling dangerous goods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of the Safe System Approach to Transportation)
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