Over the last 125 years, transportation leaders and stakeholders have cycled through a variety of traffic safety paradigms. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation formally adopted the latest of these: the Safe System approach. Now, as we inch closer to adding autonomous vehicles to the mix of roadway users, the Safe System paradigm is gaining momentum.

But despite increased interest, few guidelines exist to help transportation planners, designers, and operations managers play their part in implementing a Safe System. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) seeks to fill that gap with A Guide to Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations (2025). 

This guide is a worthwhile read, offering a comprehensive framework for transportation agencies seeking to implement strategies to eliminate road fatalities and serious injuries. But it’s also a heavy read for busy folks. Here are a few key takeaways for transit planners and trainers.

 

“Safe Systems” in a Nutshell

“Safe Systems” is a high-level, holistic approach to the design of roadway and transit systems. It aims to prevent crashes and minimize harm when they occur.

Earlier approaches tended to stick to one lane, focusing on personal responsibility, roadway design, or vehicle engineering for crashworthiness. Safe Systems engages transportation at every level: roadway and vehicle design, legal frameworks, basic driver training, and the certification and management of professional drivers (such as Transit Operators).

Although it takes everything into account, at its core, Safe Systems remains focused on people: It acknowledges that humans are the most vulnerable element of any transportation system, affirms that roadway deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable, and sets a goal of creating safe road users.

 

Core Safe Systems Principles for Trainers

Three of the six core Safe Systems principles are of special interest to transit agencies and their trainers:

 

“Humans make mistakes”

Human error is inevitable. The Safe Systems approach takes it as a given that people are impatient, distractible, and prone to poor impulse control or simple errors in judgment. Any of these can have huge repercussions once you add several thousand pounds of steel moving at roadway speeds.

Human error tends to increase when vehicle operators are either oversaturated (juggling so much incoming information that they miss critical details) or under-saturated (so disengaged from the routine driving task that their attention wanders elsewhere).

High-quality driver training (especially for professional operators of large vehicles, such as transit buses) serves as a critical layer of protection, helping reduce the frequency and severity of human errors and enhancing the overall resilience and safety of the transportation system. Transit agencies are already using their simulators to help Operators fine-tune their response to various levels of task saturation. Situational awareness scenarios and human interaction simulations help Transit Operators maintain vigilance amid hours of routine driving and the agility to manage multiple factors competing for their attention.

 

“Humans are vulnerable”

The NCHRP guidance on Safe Systems emphasizes how easily a person can be injured on the road. This is especially true when heavier vehicles are involved. Ideally, a Safe System can separate more vulnerable road users (like pedestrians and cyclists) from larger vehicles. But interaction between lighter vehicles (like motorcycles) and larger ones (like transit buses) is inevitable. Every FAAC bus simulator arrives with a library of the most common scenarios Operators need to master. This includes scenarios that specifically focus on teaching transit drivers how to navigate safely around vulnerable road users—emphasizing awareness, appropriate speeds, following distances, potential blind spots, and hazard perception in urban environments. Any of these scenarios can be modified, either in advance or on the fly—adding inclement weather, unexpected pedestrians, unanticipated traffic behavior, etc.—so trainers can help Transit Operators safely explore and learn to anticipate potential worst-case situations.

 

“Safety is proactive”

The NCHRP acknowledges that, in a perfect world, we’d identify and address every safety issue before a crash occurs or anyone gets hurt. When unforeseen circumstances come together and an accident occurs, the proactive stance is to immediately investigate the incident and determine how to prevent it from happening again.

Simulation training is inherently proactive: Instead of waiting for a white-out blizzard in the real world, Operators can train on the simulator and experience driving their route during the Storm of the Century. Likewise, our immersive Transit Response role-play interaction simulator is built entirely around preparing drivers for customer service tasks, medical emergencies, and other interactions well before they occur.

Additionally, our simulators are regularly used to recreate roadway collisions unique to a given transit system. Operators can then live that experience firsthand and learn how to avoid it.

 

Advanced Simulation Training is a Worthy Investment

For more than 50 years, FAAC has provided turnkey simulation training solutions to transit agencies and public safety organizations. In 1999, we introduced the industry’s first immersive bus transit training simulator, which was later named among the top 100 safety improvements of the last 150 years by APTA.

The key to getting the best outcomes isn’t just throwing simulation at the problem; it’s using simulation to empower good trainers. That means giving trainers all the tools they need to plan lessons, put trainees through realistic driving situations, evaluate their performance, and keep them engaged.

Investing in advanced simulation training is a powerful, tangible way for your agency to fulfill its Safe System responsibility and demonstrate a proactive commitment to your community’s safety. Ready to learn more? Contact us today to determine the best training plan for your agency.