THERE IS NOTHING AS PRACTICAL AS A GOOD THEORY

A model or a theory is not something only for the researcher. It is very useful in practical
road safety work, in the research process, in the interaction between researchers and practitioners as
well as between practitioners and policy-makers.
Often in road safety, a distinction is made between practice and theory. This is probably the
cause of the common misunderstanding that there is a contrast - or even a conflict - between practical work
and theoretical approaches. On the contrary, there is nothing as practical as a good theory. This is
especially true for road safety.
Researchers working with a problem have their own idea of the structure, the specific subgroups
of the problem and the approach towards the most appropriate countermeasures. A theory gives a common
perspective of the problems and a common platform for all parties involved - from researchers to
practitioners - thus facilitating and stimulating communication and co-operation across scientific
disciplines, as well as between science and practice.
DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD SAFETY SCIENCE
The science of road safety has gone through four phases: The vehicle control phase (what is
happening?). The traffic situation phase (why is it happening?). The traffic system phase (how is it
happening?). The transport system phase (what should we do about it?).
In order to better understand the development of road safety research, it is important to know
how the scientific view has changed during the short history of systematic road safety research.
It is possible to discern four phases of scientific views (paradigms), which of course overlap and
interact in a rather complex way:
1. Control of the automobile was seen to be the problem. There was no real research but more a
description of what was happening.
2. Control of traffic situations was seen to be the problem. The countermeasures and the research were
centred round the classical three Es: Engineering, Education and Enforcement. Here systematic
road safety research was born. A number of new disciplines came into road safety research.
3. Management of the road traffic system was seen to be the problem. In this systems approach,
mathematical models for description and prediction of traffic accidents were developed. Cost/benefit
ratios were calculated.
4. Management of the transport system as a whole is seen to be the problem. The scope is widened
from the road itself.
These different views, have resulted in various types of countermeasures, research methodologies
and models. The general trend is a successive widening of the view of the problems, research and models
in road safety.
Chapter II contains an interesting table comparing how the views on road safety have changed
during the four phases of development of the road safety science.