This paper provides a collection of information on 156 tunnel fire accidents at home and abroad and analysis of their time and spatial distribution, accident causes and effects. The study shows: most tunnel fires occur in summer; tunnel fire accidents are frequent in economically developed areas of eastern and southern China as well as mountainous areas in southwestern and northwestern China; long tunnels and super long tunnels experience more fire accidents which occur mostly at tunnel entrance/exit; most tunnel fires are caused by spontaneous combustion of vehicles and traffic accidents; cars and trucks are the most frequently seen models in tunnel fires; consequences of tunnel fires include casualties, vehicle damage, damages to tunnel structure and facilities and traffic interruption. At the end of the paper, appropriate measures and advice are proposed for tunnel fire accidents based on the above analysis results.

This paper presents a collection of 202 hazardous goods transport accidents on road and analyses of time and spatial distribution features, inducements and forms of these accidents. The analyses results show: Frequent hazardous goods accidents occur in June and July and in the period of 8:00-10:00 each day; most accidents occur on an expressway, leading to more serious consequences if they occur inside a tunnel; major causes of hazardous goods accidents are drivers’ misoperation and vehicle fault; leakage is the most common form of accident; explosions and fires cause the most serious consequences; flammable liquid, flammable gas and toxic chemicals are three substances most commonly seen in hazardous goods accidents. At the end of this paper, a number of targeted recommendations are provided to prevent hazardous goods transport accidents based on the above results.

The operating safety of highway tunnels is governed by a complex system of people-vehicle-tunnel-environment and influenced by many factors. Its assessment is complex and unique to the specific tunnel. In this paper we discuss the assessment of the operating safety of highway tunnels from three aspects of rating, risk evaluation and resiliency, and propose the concept of operating safety resiliency of highway tunnels. We also summarize prior research in these aspects and analyze advantages and disadvantages of each assessment method.