Associated data for Thesis: Systemic investigations are needed to improve safety in the heavy vehicle transport industry

This research set out to investigate the hypothesis that systemic investigations are needed to improve safety in the heavy vehicle transport industry.  The research was conducted in three stages, with stages two and three consisting of two parts each. Stage one involved a literature review of peer reviewed journal papers and grey literature that identified the socio-technical system within which the heavy vehicle transport system operates, the underlying causes of heavy vehicle crashes identified by academic research, the legislative regimes governing the heavy vehicle transport industry and what investigative methods are currently being used to conduct heavy vehicle crash investigations.

Stage two of the research consisted of two parts. Part one was a survey of heavy vehicle transport industry participants seeking their responses and opinions to twenty survey statements and part two consisted of semi-structured interviews. The survey attracted 320 participants from all parts of the heavy vehicle transport industry and included those who identified themselves as being Chief Executive Officers, managers, supervisors, clients, union members, owners, safety specialists and regulators. In addition to responding to the twenty survey statements, the participants submitted 967 free text comments relating to safety in the heavy vehicle transport industry. Part two involved semi-structured interviews of twenty investigators who had a combined total of 624 years investigation experience in policing, regulation, enforcement and private industry. 

Stage three also comprised two parts. Part one included the thematic analysis of seventeen investigation reports published by the ATSB since 2000 of heavy vehicles colliding with trains at level crossings. Part two consisted of a thematic analysis of thirty-four Coronial Inquest and Non-Inquest finding reports of heavy vehicle fatal crashes that had occurred since 2005.