Gemma Read

Level crossings, where road and rail intersect, pose significant safety risks to train drivers, road users, pedestrians, and cyclists (Edquist et al., 2009; Read et al., 2021). From 2014 to 2022, 322 collisions at Australian level crossings resulted in 39 fatalities and 49 serious injuries (National Level Crossing Safety Committee, 2023; Read et al., 2021). Beyond the significant human and social costs, collisions at level crossings impose a considerable economic burden, with the annual financial cost estimated to exceed AUD $116 million in 2010 (Tooth & Balmford, 2010).
Human Factors issues play a critical role in level crossing collisions (Beanland et al., 2018; Salmon, Read, et al., 2013). Collisions can occur because road users misjudge the speed or distance of an approaching train, rely on past experience to anticipate train movements, or fail to perceive warnings or even trains due to low expectancy (Caird, 2002; Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, 2024; Salmon, Lenné, et al., 2013; Salmon, 2013; Young, 2015). Studies show that both active crossings (e.g., boom gates, flashing lights) and passive crossings (e.g., stop signs, no warning systems) present risks, with user behaviour shaped by the physical and informational environment (Lenné et al., 2011; Read et al., 2021). Despite substantial research, Human Factors knowledge has not been systematically integrated into level crossing design and evaluation, particularly in rural and regional areas where passive controls dominate (Bearman, 2013).
Given the costs associated with installing traditional active controls, there is growing interest in innovative, low-cost safety solutions (Silla, 2019; Wullems, 2011). However, developers, engineers, and project managers often lack practical guidance on applying Human Factors principles during the design, implementation, and operation of these solutions. This gap can reduce the effectiveness of interventions. This project addresses the gap through the development of a publicly accessible, evidence-based toolkit to help embed Human Factors principles into the design, implementation, and operation of innovative level crossing safety solutions.

The Cyclist Reporting of Incidents Tool (CRIT) provides cyclists with a simple and quick way of reporting crashes and near miss incidents that they experience while cycling, including important information regarding the incidents (e.g., time and location, incident description) and the contributory factors involved.

With users all over Australia, this information is analysed and used to identify trends in incidents and incident causation and inform the development of strategies designed to enhance cyclist safety. CRIT also presents a summary of the incidents reported to its users, allowing cyclists to understand the hazards they face when cycling as well as trends in crash and near miss causation.

The CRIT app is currently being trialled as part of a 12-month study. This report presents the aggregated findings from the trial and includes an analysis of the crashes and near miss incidents reported between 12 December 2021 and 12 December 2022, inclusive.

CRIT is funded through the Road Safety Innovation Fund, a scheme from the Australian Government, which supports road safety research and the development of new, innovative road safety technologies and products. CRIT was developed by the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at the University of the Sunshine Coast in collaboration with Bizsoft Consulting.

CRIT is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. All information provided is confidential.

The Cyclist Reporting of Incidents Tool (CRIT) provides cyclists with a simple and quick way of reporting crashes and near misses that they experience while cycling, including important information regarding the incidents themselves (e.g., time and location, incident description) and the contributory factors involved.

With users all over Australia, this information is analysed and used to identify trends in incidents and incident causation and inform the development of strategies designed to enhance cyclist safety. CRIT also presents a summary of the incidents reported to its users, allowing cyclists to understand the hazards they face when cycling as well as trends in crash and near miss causation.

The CRIT app is currently being trialled as part of a 12-month study. This report presents the aggregated findings from the first 6 months of the trial and includes an analysis of the crashes and near misses reported between December 2021 and June 2022.

CRIT is funded through the Road Safety Innovation Fund, a scheme from the Australian Government, which supports road safety research and the development of new, innovative road safety technologies and products. CRIT was developed by the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at the University of the Sunshine Coast in collaboration with Bizsoft Consulting.

Work-related violence in hospital settings is a complex and growing issue that has significant personal, societal and economic costs. The complexity and multi-factorial nature of the issue is such that it is extremely difficult to understand and manage, and interventions have had varying levels of success. Systems thinking is one approach that is currently popular in the field of safety science when attempting to understand and respond to complex safety-related issues.

As part of their ongoing efforts to support improved prevention and management of workrelated violence in hospital settings, SafeWork NSW funded the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems to undertake an exploratory research project applying systems thinking to the issue of work-related violence in hospital settings in New South Wales (NSW).

The aims the research were to apply systems thinking methods to enhance understanding of work-related violence in hospital settings in NSW and to develop a series of novel interventions designed to support enhanced prevention and management of the issue.