Explaining the term Road Safety Culture simply put, refers to the approach of maintaining road safety that requires cooperation from everyone in society. This aims to cultivate awareness and adherence to traffic rules among pedestrians, drivers, and all road users, ultimately forming a culture that fosters a safer environment.
"The organization concluded that reducing road death rates to zero is an appropriate goal because even a single death is unacceptable."
This is one of the core ideals behind the organization TZD - Towards Zero Deaths, which began in Georgia and was later supported and developed by multiple organizations into a national agenda in the U.S., in cooperation with government agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Observing the vision statements of most safety organizations under the FHWA clearly shows the goal of “no deaths” (Vision Zero) from road accidents. Although it may seem unattainable, this extreme safety perspective creates a serious atmosphere in policy discussions.
An interesting view from TZD focuses on adjusting “social factors” to promote safety, especially emphasizing that decision-makers must prioritize safety. This foundation is crucial to sustainably creating a safety culture.
However, establishing such a culture cannot come from just a few passionate individuals; the whole society must participate. TZD provides a 92-page document detailing various methods. A summarized 3-minute video outlines key points on building road safety culture as follows:
Certainly, Vision Zero is an ideal not fully achievable in reality, but that does not mean safety workers ignore this. FHWA states that achieving this vision requires a Safe System approach, which recognizes human errors and integrates efforts from all involved parties.
A key aspect of Safe System thinking is anticipating where human errors will happen to design road infrastructure that minimizes risk. The five main safety elements are safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care. These form the foundation from road construction to vehicle quality checks and much more.
We see proactive Safe System safety approaches in many developed countries prioritizing citizens’ quality of life, especially environments involving children. For example, as presented by the Money Disruptor page, school buses in the U.S. and Canada are specially designed for high safety standards: distinct yellow coloring for easy recognition, fire-resistant seating with automatic fire suppression systems, and so forth.
In summary, the concept of zero deaths and the Safe System principle — key components of modern road safety culture — arise from multiple factors. These include developing habits from home, school, and workplace, enforcing laws, quality infrastructure, and building good roads.
At this moment, no one can deny that Thailand needs to increase daily safety awareness. However, the proactive and serious approach taken by many countries with dedicated agencies responsible for safety remains a topic that requires further discussion.
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