Road tunnel safety: HGV driver training in Fra

From 2004 to 2009, The Tunnel Studies Centre(*) (CETU) led a research program on the role of human and organizational factors in road tunnel safety. This work produced several insights into human behavior. Generally speaking, drivers do not adopt the expected behavior in tunnels, particularly in cases of fire. These insights led to proposals for concrete actions to improve road tunnel design and operational organization, as well as user-targeted education and training initiatives. Several innovative concepts have recently been developed on the basis of this research work. Following a brief summary of previous user education actions, the paper discusses French initiatives to improve initial and further training of HGV drivers with respect to driving in road tunnels. It also gives a brief overview of the situation regarding this issue in other member states in Europe. (*) The Tunnel Studies Centre (CETU) is the central technical service of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing responsible for all the technical aspects of tunnels. CETU is attached to the Directorate General for Infrastructure, Transport and the Sea and is involved in all stages of tunnel engineering works from design to asset management, as well with facilities and civil engineering issues. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of the Programme Committee of the Transport Research Arena 2012