Safety impacts of deregulation in the transport sector

Safety impacts of deregulation are discussed based on organizational theory and empirical research. Our theoretical analysis suggests that an effective regulatory authority, allocation of adequate resources to safety at all levels, and adequate management of organizational boundaries may be key factors in assuring safety during and after a deregulation process. Two different studies of the privatisation of British Rail led to highly divergent conclusions concerning the impact on safety. We should not expect empirical research on safety impacts of deregulation to yield general results of the form deregulation in a transportation sector leads to X per cent increase (or decrease) in the accident risk. However such research may help us develop tools to foresee potential safety problems related to a deregulation process and to monitor the effects of an ongoing or recent deregulation process on safety. Researchers should acknowledge that it is not possible to draw a neat dividing line between politics and scientific research in this area (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E212333.