During day-to-day use, thousands of lives are lost each year due to accidents, directly or indirectly, resulting from poor transportation system reliability and safety. In the United States, automobile accidents alone result in around 42,000 deaths per year, costing billions of dollars to the economy each year. A common subject in journal articles and conference proceedings, most of the recent research on transportation systems reliability and safety is scattered in different resources. Until now.
Drawing together the latest research spread throughout the literature, Transportation Systems Reliability and Safety eliminates the need to consult many different and diverse sources to obtain up-to-date information and research. It contains a chapter on mathematical concepts and another chapter on reliability and safety basics that form a foundation for understanding the contents of subsequent chapters. The book also presents a chapter devoted to methods for performing transportation system reliability and safety analysis. It includes a reference section at the end of each chapter for readers who wish to delve deeper into a specific area.
The author clearly and concisely covers topics in such a manner that readers require no previous knowledge to understand the concepts. He provides examples and their solutions as well as numerous problems at the end of each chapter to test reader comprehension. The presentation of historical information paired with recent research give readers a foundation for understanding where the field is now and snapshot of where it may be going.
Introduction
Background
Transportation Systems Reliability and Safety Facts, Figures, and Examples
Terms and Definitions
Useful Sources for Obtaining Information on Transportation Systems Reliability and Safety
Scope of the Book
References
Reliability and Safety Mathematics
Introduction
Arithmetic Mean, Mean Deviation, and Standard Deviation
Boolean Algebra Laws
Probability Definition and Properties
Useful Definitions
Probability Distributions
Solving First-Order Differential Equations Using Laplace
Transforms
References
Reliability and Safety Basics
Introduction
Bathtub Hazard Rate Curve
General Reliability-Related Formulas
Reliability Networks
Occupational Stressors and Reasons for Occurrence of Human Error
Human Error Consequences and Classifications
Safety and Engineers
Product Hazard Categories, Common Mechanical Injuries, and Common Causes of Work Injuries
Accident Causation Theories
References
Methods for Performing Transportation System Reliability and Safety Analysis
Introduction
Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA)
Fault-Tree Analysis (FTA)
Markov Method
Hazards and Operability Analysis (HAZOP)
Interface Safety Analysis
Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA)
Job Safety Analysis
Technique of Operations Review (TOR)
References
Transportation System Failures
Introduction
Mechanical-Failure-Related Aviation Accidents
Vehicle Failure Classifications and Defects in Vehicle Parts
Rail Defects and Weld Failures
Mechanical-Failure-Related Delays in Commuter Rail Service
Rail and Road Tanker Failure Modes and Failure Consequences
Ship Failures and Their Causes
Failures in Marine Environments and Microanalysis Techniques for Failure Investigation
Submarine Ship-Control System Performance Monitoring and Fault Localization Process and Benefits
References
Transportation System Reliability Modeling
Introduction
Model I
Model II
Model III
Model IV
Model V
Model VI
Model VII
Model VIII
Model IX
Model X
Model XI
References
Rail Safety
Introduction
Causes of Railway-Related Accidents and Incidents, and Examples of the Causes of Specific Rail Accidents
General Classifications of Rail Accidents by Effects and Causes
Rail Derailment Accidents and Incidents and Their Causes
Telescoping-Related Railway Accidents
Railway Accidents in Selective Countries
Railroad Tank Car Safety
Light-Rail Transit-System Safety-Related Issues
Methods for Performing Rail Safety Analysis
References
Truck and Bus Safety
Introduction
Top Truck and Bus Safety Issues
Truck Safety-Related Facts and Figures
Commonly Cited Truck Safety-Related Problems, Factors Associated with Heavy-Vehicle Accidents, and Safety Culture in the Trucking Industry
Safety-Related Truck Inspection Tips, Safety-Related Tips for Truck Drivers, and Recommendations for Improving Truck Safety
Bus and Coach Occupant Fatalities and Serious Injuries
Transit Bus Safety and Key Design-Related Safety Feature Areas
Vehicle Safety Data Sources
Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related Accidents in Selective Countries
References
Airline and Ship Safety
Introduction
United States Airline-Related Fatalities and Accident Rate
Aircraft Accidents during Flight Phases and Causes of Airplane Crashes
Worldwide Airline Accident Analysis
Air Safety-Related Regulatory Bodies and Their Responsibilities
Aviation Recording and Reporting Systems
Noteworthy Marine Accidents
Ship Safety Assessment
Ship Port-Related Hazards
Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS)
References
Human Error in Rail and Road Transportation Systems
Introduction
Railway System Human-Error-Related Facts, Figures, and Examples
Railway Operation-Related Typical Human Error Occurrence Areas
Railway Personnel Error-Prone Tasks and Error-Contributing Factors in Railway Operations
A Checklist of Statements to Reduce Human Error in Railway Operations
Road Transportation Systems Human-Error-Related Facts and Figures
Driver Error Classifications, Common Driver Errors, and Driver Error Ranking
Operational Influences on the Performance of Commercial Drivers
Bus Accidents and Bus-Accident-Related Driver Errors in Selected Developing Countries
References
Human Error in Aviation and Sea Transportation Systems
Introduction
Aviation Transportation Systems
Sea Transportation Systems
References
Bibliography: Literature on the Reliability and Safety of Transportation Systems
Biography
B.S. Dhillon
"The book is full of statistics on road, air and marine accidents borrowed from various sources which makes this useful for an interested person to know about. … does not require any background to understand these basics of reliability and safety which is the specialty of most of the books written by Professor Dhillon on these specialized topics. The book will be found useful for a student who is interested in pursuing the subject as a beginner."
— Krishna B. Misra in International Journal of Performability Engineering
