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Safe System maturity and Safe System readiness in three European and three African countries : A comparison of an emerging versus a mature context

Nævestad, Tor Olav ; Sam, Enoch F. ; Farah, Haneen LU orcid ; Mwamba, Daniel LU ; Masaki, Jaqueline ; Laureshyn, Aliaksei LU orcid ; Magnusson, Matilda LU ; Miyoba, Thomas ; Hesjevoll, Ingeborg and Varhelyi, Andras LU , et al. (2026) In Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 37.
Abstract

The study provides a comparison of Safe System maturity and Safe System readiness in three European countries (Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands) and three African countries (Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia), based on document studies and focus group discussions (n = 73 interviewees and n = 44 interviewees). Safe System maturity refers to the level of Safe System implementation related to national road safety management, while the readiness assessment focuses on the factors influencing maturity. The study develops a model to assess Safe System readiness. Interviewees in the focus groups discussions in the African countries discussed insufficient implementation from the position of an emerging Safe System context, where factors like insufficient... (More)

The study provides a comparison of Safe System maturity and Safe System readiness in three European countries (Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands) and three African countries (Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia), based on document studies and focus group discussions (n = 73 interviewees and n = 44 interviewees). Safe System maturity refers to the level of Safe System implementation related to national road safety management, while the readiness assessment focuses on the factors influencing maturity. The study develops a model to assess Safe System readiness. Interviewees in the focus groups discussions in the African countries discussed insufficient implementation from the position of an emerging Safe System context, where factors like insufficient economic resources, corruption and insufficient institutional robustness limit Safe System implementation. Interviewees in the European countries discussed insufficient implementation from a mature Safe System context. These countries have had considerable reductions in fatal accidents since they implemented Safe System policies, but there is still room for improvement. Interviewees in the European countries generally indicated that they know what is needed to reach the Safe System, but that societal factors are constraining this implementation (e.g. cultural focus on freedom to take risk, lacking political sense of urgency related to road safety). There are several very effective measures that are not being used in the European countries, because factors like explicit political choices, goal conflicts and values limit Safe System implementation. The study concludes that there are considerable implementation barriers in both the emerging and the mature Safe System context, although they differ in nature.

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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
African, European, Road safety, Safe System maturity, Safe System readiness
in
Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
volume
37
article number
102015
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105038039564
ISSN
2590-1982
DOI
10.1016/j.trip.2026.102015
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ed167131-ca41-4435-890d-dabadd51a705
date added to LUP
2026-08-17 14:46:50
date last changed
2026-08-17 14:48:03
@article{ed167131-ca41-4435-890d-dabadd51a705,
  abstract     = {{<p>The study provides a comparison of Safe System maturity and Safe System readiness in three European countries (Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands) and three African countries (Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia), based on document studies and focus group discussions (n = 73 interviewees and n = 44 interviewees). Safe System maturity refers to the level of Safe System implementation related to national road safety management, while the readiness assessment focuses on the factors influencing maturity. The study develops a model to assess Safe System readiness. Interviewees in the focus groups discussions in the African countries discussed insufficient implementation from the position of an emerging Safe System context, where factors like insufficient economic resources, corruption and insufficient institutional robustness limit Safe System implementation. Interviewees in the European countries discussed insufficient implementation from a mature Safe System context. These countries have had considerable reductions in fatal accidents since they implemented Safe System policies, but there is still room for improvement. Interviewees in the European countries generally indicated that they know what is needed to reach the Safe System, but that societal factors are constraining this implementation (e.g. cultural focus on freedom to take risk, lacking political sense of urgency related to road safety). There are several very effective measures that are not being used in the European countries, because factors like explicit political choices, goal conflicts and values limit Safe System implementation. The study concludes that there are considerable implementation barriers in both the emerging and the mature Safe System context, although they differ in nature.</p>}},
  author       = {{Nævestad, Tor Olav and Sam, Enoch F. and Farah, Haneen and Mwamba, Daniel and Masaki, Jaqueline and Laureshyn, Aliaksei and Magnusson, Matilda and Miyoba, Thomas and Hesjevoll, Ingeborg and Varhelyi, Andras and Elvik, Rune and Blom, Jenny and Bisht, Laxman Singh and Francis, Filbert and Egner, Lars E.}},
  issn         = {{2590-1982}},
  keywords     = {{African; European; Road safety; Safe System maturity; Safe System readiness}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives}},
  title        = {{Safe System maturity and Safe System readiness in three European and three African countries : A comparison of an emerging versus a mature context}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2026.102015}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.trip.2026.102015}},
  volume       = {{37}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}