Integrating complex systems science into road safety research and practice, part 1: review of formative concepts

Abstract

Many of our most persistent public health problems are complex problems. They arise from a web of factors that interact and change over time and may exhibit resistance to intervention efforts. The domain of systems science provides several tools to help injury prevention researchers and practitioners examine deep, complex and persistent problems and identify opportunities to intervene. Using the increase in pedestrian death rates as an example, we provide (1) an accessible overview of how complex systems science approaches can augment established injury prevention frameworks and (2) a straightforward example of how specific systems science tools can deepen understanding, with a goal of ultimately informing action.

Evaluation of the Road Policy in the Light of Vision Zero in Jaworzno, Poland

“…National road safety policies in, for example, Sweden [39], Netherlands [55], Australia [56,57], Norway [58], Switzerland [59] or to some extent in Poland [60], as described below, are following the principles of the systematic approach in reducing road fatalities. Such nation-wide policies represent guidance for municipalities to define and conduct policies that tend to follow the same vision and goal as the country-wide programmes [54]. However, the existence of the national road safety programmes does not exclude individual municipalities, as in the case of this study, the polish town Jaworzno cannot execute its own policies to improve road safety.…”

“…In comparison to the holistic approach, the traditional approach is narrower and does not include the various arrays of entities with shared responsibilities for the road safety but is centred around the user being the cause and thus responsible for the road accidents [40] and individual measurements which do not necessarily have to be integrated into complex approach are being implemented in a reaction to specific road safety issues. It is currently complex and holistic or referred to as a systematic approach, which is considered to be the effective way of challenging and improving the road safety landscape [53,54].…”

Use of Systems Thinking and Group Model Building Methods to Understand Patterns of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Use Among Older Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

“…when change in the first factor causes a series of changes that ultimately loop back to drive further change in that factor) or balancing (i.e. when change in the first factor causes a series of change that ultimately loop back to counteract the effects of the initial change) (28, 35-37). While reinforcing feedback loops can cause exponential growth or decline, balancing loops seek equilibrium within systems; feedback loops may have variable time delays (35, 37).…”

“…when change in the first factor causes a series of change that ultimately loop back to counteract the effects of the initial change) (28, 35-37). While reinforcing feedback loops can cause exponential growth or decline, balancing loops seek equilibrium within systems; feedback loops may have variable time delays (35, 37). The probing questions are shown in Figure 2 with the corresponding reference modes.…”

“…While reinforcing feedback loops can cause exponential growth or decline, balancing loops seek equilibrium within systems; feedback loops may have variable time delays (35,37).The probing questions are shown in Figure 2 with the corresponding reference modes. The reference modes were displayed on 24-inch x 36-inch laminated posters around the room, and participants' ideas were scribed onto small sticky notes and used to annotate the diagram.…”