The ENT 13 Safety and Security commission (ERA-NET Transport) has asked TØI/NTNU/SINTEF and two French laboratories affiliated to IFSTTAR (previously INRETS) to cooperate on a project on risk perception in transport. The project is in accordance with the Norwegian programme RISIT and the French research programme PREDIT with a common objective to provide a better understanding of transport risk perception, in order to improve safety and risk management within the transport sector.

The main objective of the project is to compare risk perception on urban means of transport, both public transport modes (metro, bus and tramway) and private transport modes (car, motorcycle, bicycle and walking). The two capitals, Oslo and Paris have been chosen for field research as well as to middle-towns Kristiansand and La Rochelle. Another main objective is to compare perception of transport according to different kinds of threats. Generally, both safety and security can be defined as “Freedom from risk or danger; doubt, anxiety or fear“, and something that assures confidence. Safety is related to unintended (accidents, near miss or incidents), while security is related to intended evil acts (e.g., violence, threats, criminal acts, terrorism, etc.). These two kinds of phenomena have not the same psychological resonance and refer to different fears. Thus, it is not enough to say that some means of transport are perceived as safe or unsafe: the nature of the threat has to be defined precisely.

These issues will lead to the following analysis: 

• Risk perception and transport behavioural adaptations (e.g., travelling on another time than planned, taking another route than intended, being more careful/aware when travelling, refrain from travelling etc. Importantly, these behavioural adaptation will be investigated in relation to risk perception and perceived control only – not other factors such as cost, availability etc.).
• Comparison of risk perception between experts (operators) and users (lay people).
• Risk perception, mode choice, and mobility. That is, the influence of risk perception relative to other relevant factors such as cost, availability, comfort, delays etc. that are assumed to influence mode choice and mobility.
• Media’s dealing with transport risks, both on a regular “daily” basis and related to large scale accidents.
• Comparison between objective and subjective risk

All the results from the project will be used as a basis for giving recommendations about management of crisis according to perceived risk. This topic will not be subject to specific empirical investigations, but final workshop aimed at addressing this issue will be conducted, and a report will be formulated based on a synthesis of the results and the workshop. 

Links (in Norwegian):
Forskningsrådets hjemmesider
Resultater fra RISIT-programmet - publikasjon delt ut på sluttkonferansen

Link (in French):
http://www.predit.prd.fr/predit4/syntheseProjet.fo?inCde=40464 

Contact:
Isabelle Roche-Cerasi, phone: +47 99330858, e-mail: Beskyttet adresse