Moving sideways: Be holistic!

Moving from one pillar to another essentially means to extend or transfer attention from one of the six pillars of road safety to another. If, for instance, data shows that road vehicles have become safer and the "safe vehicles" pillar has grown, it may be the right moment to also improve the behaviour of road users, or post-crash care. This then requires interactions with, and among, new actors, who were not involved so far.

Image 3: Expanding Safe System initiatives across road safety pillars

Ideally, in a Safe System approach, all five key components are addressed. Key components 1 to 3 (robust governance, shared responsibility, addressing all road safety pillars) can only exist if cooperation between different organisations and actors is in place. Key components 4 and 5 (prevent exposure, support safe behaviour) allow for a more focused approach. Hence, it makes a difference which component is or was addressed in the first place.

Where steps have been taken to establish institutional governance of the Safe System approach, this means, implicitly, that there is interest in the Safe System at the highest level, which should provide ample opportunities to further spread the initiatives to install institutes relevant for other pillars.

This is much less true for achievements in the field of the remaining two key components. These do not, by themselves, ensure cooperation or interaction between different actors.

Therefore, if there is progress in one or more of the first three key components, expanding across the other pillars is relatively straightforward. The focus will be on using existing cooperation and the drive towards a Safe System approach to extend initiatives to other pillars (see image 3).

Image 4: Expanding the Safe System sideways across pillars in components with momentum and existing cooperations

If, on the other hand, progress is achieved in key components 4 or 5, then the best way to advance further will be to address cooperation, shared responsibility and institutional collaboration, nurturing a whole-of-government interest in the Safe System approach and leveraging earlier achievements as arguments. This may require time and true leadership. Progress cannot be forced, as people need to be intrinsically convinced.