Fatal and serious pedal cycle and truck collisions in the UK: A systems approach

Abstract

Collisions between cyclists and trucks are a concerning contributor to road traffic crash fatalities within the UK. This paper applied a systems approach using the accimap method of analysis to probe deeper into contributory factors involved in cyclist/truck crashes occurring in London. In a single example case study of a cyclist/truck collision it is apparent that high level systems factors such as road design and vehicle regulations play a contributory role in such crashes. Considering the physical process and actor activates from 27 crashes it is apparent that decisions made by both the cyclist and truck driver have individual and interacting effects on crash causation. Overall, accimaps appear to be an appropriate method for considering the contributory factors of cyclist/truck collisions, however, it is acknowledged that the robustness of findings is limited by the scope of information included in the original incident reports.