Technical Sciences. Traffic

A. V. Stepanov

Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University, Ukraine

Problems of transport safety

Economic development of world community and globalization of economy predetermine accelerated development of transport activities. Rapid increase of the intensity of transportations is accompanied by a number of negative consequences which scope is constantly increasing. Among these consequences there are an unacceptably high level of casualties from road traffic accidents (RTA), the negative impact on the environment, rapidly increasing level of risks of accidents and emergencies occurrence, growth in number of terrorist acts and other acts of illegal interference in work of transport. Hazardous condition in transport is characterized by "large scale” damage. That is why transport safekeeping in this field becomes more and more relevant and needs measures to decrease threats level to be taken.

Scientific literature mentions that no major priorities of state policy for transport safekeeping and for motor transport safekeeping have yet been defined by law. In particular, strategic guidelines of development of the road safety field are not defined; the objectives of traffic accidents overcoming are not quantified; there is no state body that is responsible for traffic safety management in the country; regulatory technologies for transformation of traffic safety objectives into particular result are not developed; there are no effective standards for motor transport safety management; the mechanism of financing the projects aimed at traffic capacity increasing, at improvement of traffic management facilities, at elimination of danger areas and traffic accident clusters is not studied.

Besides, lack of planned and strategic measures to overcome road traffic accidents makes huge negative impact on motor transport safety in the country. In particular, a program aspect of state policy on traffic safety remains insufficiently developed. A vast majority of forecasts that are set down in the content of conceptual, program and other regulatory and legal documents on road traffic safety issues have a non-competitive character.

The diversity of formulations and the lack of unity in the definition of the term "transport safety" hinders taking effective measures aimed at improving it. We believe the transport safety is a condition of transport system which allows to guarantee national security and national interests in scope of transportation activities, to guarantee stability of transportation activities, to prevent harm to human health and life, to preclude damage to property and environment, and to preclude overall national economic damage during transportation activities.

In general, speaking about the complex transport safety, it is necessary to consider: the safety of transport activities; economic and military security of the state; social security of the society; and environmental safety.

It is possible to classify two main approaches - one according to the types of hazard (types of threats), and the other according to the types of transport.

The types of hazard (types of threats) are internal and external threats, natural threats, technogenic threats, sociogenic threats, political and economical threats, military threats, terroristic threats, etc.

According to the types of transport there are motor-transport safety; railway transport safety; water transport safety, marine and river transport safety; air transport safety, and pipelines transport safety.

Talking about the transport safety problems, it should be mentioned that there still exist some contradictions between bodies of state power, local governments, and business organizations in adopting and implementing measures aimed at prevention and at elimination of the aftermath of accidents and emergencies. The question of a state organization responsible for all the aspects of safety, responsible for overall safety in transport is not settled yet. The above mentioned shows the weaknesses and deficiency of legal control over problems in transport safety field.

Control of terrorism is one of the most important problems for all the world community. Terrorist acts are committed in underground railway, in city transport, in air transport, in marine and rail transport. According to the data from International Maritime Organization (IMO), the annual damage, caused by all the types of pirate activities in different sectors of World Ocean, amount to more than $16 billions.

The influence of "human factor" on safety of transport systems operation rises rapidly. In this regard, it is necessary to improve professional training and retraining of personnel on the basis of computer simulators and interactive electronic means, using simulation modeling.

Special attention to problems of motor-transport safety is particularly noteworthy due to its mass character and enormous losses of society caused by accidents and other events involving motor-vehicles. It is an issue of particular importance in our country.

The level of motor-transport safety depends on the same factors that affect the level of overall transport safety. These factors are: technical failures; accidents at infrastructure objects; insufficient level of qualification and personnel faults; explosions, fires, floods, submersions, earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis and other similar phenomena; breakdowns in systems of communication and in traffic management systems; inadequate organization of traffic safety; insufficient level of overall protection during cargoes and passengers transportation; terrorism, banditry, ruffianism, stealing, etc.

The analysis of causes of traffic accidents that occur shows that it is possible to solve many of them on the basis of information and telecommunication supplies of the transport process. Intelligent transport systems are a universal tool to improve transport safety, to increase intensity and speed of traffic flows, to optimize schemes and routes of cargoes delivery. Intelligent transport systems allow to quickly and adequately respond to arising problems of technical and technological nature, to take urgent measures under the threat of terrorism, banditry, ruffianism, stealing, and under commission of other illegal acts. However, this is a subject of further research.

References:

1. Закон України «Про транспорт». Введено в дію Постановою ВР N 233/94-ВР від 10.11.94, ВВР, 1994, N 51, ст.447 із змінами і доповненнями.

2. Указ Президента України «Про Положення про Державну інспекцію України з безпеки на наземному транспорті, із змінами, внесеними згідно з Указом Президента N 506/2013 від 11.09.2013

3. Бесчастний В. М. Державна політика транспортної безпеки України: актуальні питання реалізації / В. М. Бесчастний, А. О. Собакарь // Віче. — 2010. — № 4. — С. 2—5.