Chapter 40.3: Safety for Vulnerable Road Users
Abstract
This chapter addresses the complex and evolving risks faced by Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) in occupational contexts, providing guidance for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) professionals and practitioners. It explores the dynamic nature of vulnerability among workers exposed to road environments, including those in traditional employment and the gig economy, and highlights the dual responsibility to safeguard both workers and the broader public.
Drawing on current industry data, legal frameworks, and real-world case studies, the chapter identifies common hazards and systemic gaps in risk management, particularly the lack of comprehensive data and regulatory coverage for non-standard work arrangements. A systems-based approach is advocated, emphasising the integration of higher-order controls, proactive risk assessment, and continuous adaptation to changing work environments.
Practical tools and methodologies are presented to support the assessment and mitigation of VRU risks, with recommendations for embedding safety practices within organisational and public road systems. The chapter concludes by underscoring the urgent need for inclusive legal reforms, technological advancements, and collaborative strategies to ensure the safety of all road users, regardless of employment status or road context.
Keywords:
Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), Gig Economy, Road Safety, Risk Assessment, Safe Systems Approach, Dynamic Vulnerability, Public Road Environments, Employer Duty of Care, Transport Policy, Regulatory Reform, Technology in Road Safety
First year of publication: 2026
Chapter 40.3: Safety for Vulnerable Road Users
Table of contents
| 1 | Introduction |
| 2 | Framing Vulnerability in Road Use |
| 2.1 | Who Are Occupational VRUs? |
| 2.2 | What Contributes to Vulnerability? |
| 2.3 | Consideration of the Gig Economy |
| 2.4 | Industry and Societal Practice & Navigating the Data Gap |
| 3 | Lack of Occupational VRU Data |
| 3.1 | Legal Requirements and Case-Based Evidence |
| 3.2 | Case Studies |
| 4 | A Systems-Based View of Risk |
| 5 | A Safe system approach to occupational road use |
| 5.1 | A Safe Systems approach to Occupational VRU risk |
| 5.2 | A systems approach to occupational VRU risk assessments |
| 5.3 | The application of a VRU systems methodology to risk assessment |
| 5.4 | Examples of occupational VRU risk assessments using the safety systems approach |
| 6 | Considerations for the dynamic risk of vulnerable road users |
| 6.1 | Dynamic Vulnerability: Real-World Shifts in Risk |
| 6.1.1 | Roadside maintenance crews and utility workers |
| 6.1.2 | Truck driver |
| 6.1.3 | Delivery rider |
| 6.2 | Risk Control Implications |
| 7 | Broader Public Impacts |
| 8 | OHS Professional’s Toolkit: Practical Recommendations |
| 8.1 | Implications for Practice |
| 8.2 | Future Trends and Technologies |
| 9 | Conclusion |
| Reference List |
Dr Simon Albery PhD (Shared Decision Making), MOHS (Resilience Engineering), GradDip OccHazMgmt, BE(Mech), BTech(IndDes)
Group Manager Quality and Completions, CPB Contractors
Dr Simon Albery is a senior transformational leader specialising in safety leadership, organisational resilience, and critical risk management across mining, construction, and manufacturing. With more than 25 years’ experience in heavy industry, he combines deep engineering expertise with strategic and operational leadership to deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, and organisational performance.
He holds a PhD in shared decision‑making for safer mining vehicle interactions, grounded in resilience engineering, human factors, and systems thinking. Simon began his career as an automotive safety engineer, contributing to global vehicle programs and five‑star ANCAP/NCAP outcomes, before progressing into senior executive roles leading HSEQ, quality, completions, and operational assurance across complex, high‑risk portfolios.
Simon has led national and international teams, achieving significant reductions in high‑severity incidents, improved non‑conformance and quality performance, and strengthened organisational capability. He is recognised for challenging traditional compliance‑based risk models and enabling learning‑focused, people‑centred systems of work.
He is an active industry contributor through professional committees, peer review for international safety journals, and published research on resilience and good work design.
Caitlin Taylor BA(Hons) AppSocSci, MSc AppPsych
Road Safety Manager, RoSPA
Caitlin Taylor is deeply committed to preventing road trauma. Her early career started providing direct emotional and practical support to victims of road traffic collisions – including bereaved families, seriously injured individuals, and witnesses. With specialist training in trauma-informed support, alongside a BA (Hons) in Applied Social Science and an MSc in Applied Psychology, Caitlin is now Road Safety Manager at RoSPA. Caitlin leads work on road safety policy and education and is also the road safety lead on RoSPA’s Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ScORSA) project funded by Transport Scotland, supporting employers to manage occupational road risk and protect vulnerable road users.
Peer reviewer
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Learning Outcomes:
The OHS Body of Knowledge takes a conceptual approach which enables it to be applied in different contexts and frameworks.
To optimise its value for education and professional development learning outcomes have been developed for each technical chapter in the Body of Knowledge.
The learning outcomes as described give an indication of what should be the capabilities of an OHS professional; it is up to those developing OHS education programs, OHS professionals planning their CPD or recruiters or employers selecting or developing people for the OHS function to consider the required breadth vs. depth .
Please read the section on using the learning outcomes before delving into the leaning outcomes of the individual chapters.
The numbers against each learning outcome refer to the chapter number of the BOK download page. No learning outcomes have been developed for the chapters considered introductory or underpinning knowledge (that is chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, .13, 14, 15.)