Book Review: Concise Theory of Road Safety by T.P. Hutchinson

According to World Health Organization, the number of road traffic deaths is constantly increasing, hitting 1.35 million in 2016. 1 Thus, road safety is included in Sustainable Development Goals as a part of the urban development agenda and the public health agenda. 2 This book broadens discussions about road safety, from its empirical data to its theory. The author shows that road safety is not merely a data-based subject, but also theory is needed. Hence, the author of this book elaborates more precisely what the theory means in road safety and the benefits of using theory in analyzing road accidents. There are (three) central arguments or theories discussed in this book that relate to road accidents. They are the impact of road accidents based on the speed and human hits. Also, the last second before the impact which related to the aspects influencing impact speed. The last argument regarding the generalization from a test to the real world. The first theory regarding the last second or before the vehicles crash are discussed in chapter 5 and 6 in this book. The author introduces types of models used to describe a driver's reaction or an autonomous system when they confront an obstacle. There are 2 (two) types of models this book discusses, the first is Model [A], and the second one is the suggested model to be built up. Model [A] is explained by the author as a simplistic model that focuses on delayed constant acceleration, particularly braking systems.