Transport Safety and Maintenance for Accident Prevention

Transport safety and maintenance represent key pillars of modern mobility systems. However, their effective integration remains a continuing challenge for researchers, engineers, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide. Global transport networks are growing increasingly complex, spanning road, rail, aviation, and emerging autonomous paradigms. The consequences of systemic failures, deferred maintenance, and inadequate risk governance are measured not only in economic losses but also in human lives.The introduction of transformative technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, has reshaped what is possible in accident prevention and infrastructure preservation. These tools enable predictive rather than reactive maintenance strategies, real-time risk assessment at unprecedented scale, and data-driven insights drawn from post-crash analytics. Technology advancement alone, however, cannot guarantee safety. Researchers must also examine the human factors underpinning driver and operator behavior, cybersecurity vulnerabilities in connected transport ecosystems, the structural integrity of aging infrastructure, and the regulatory frameworks governing emerging mobility technologies. Compounding these challenges, the accelerating impacts of climate change are exposing transport systems to extreme weather events that stress the limits of existing safety and maintenance paradigms.This Research Topic speaks to a wide and interdisciplinary audience, including transport engineers, infrastructure managers, AI and data science researchers, autonomous vehicle specialists, cybersecurity professionals, urban planners, climate adaptation experts, safety regulators, and international development organizations. All of these communities share a stake in advancing both the scientific understanding and the real-world practice of accident prevention.We welcome submissions on themes including, but not limited to:o Predictive and condition-based maintenance using IoT, digital twins, and machine learningo Real-time risk assessment and post-crash analyticso Human factors in driver, operator, and pedestrian safetyo Cybersecurity in connected and autonomous transporto Structural health monitoring of aging infrastructureo Climate resilience and adaptation to extreme weather eventso Regulatory and policy frameworks for emerging mobility technologieso Role of crash prevention in current safety policies (such as Vision Zero and the Safe System approach)By bringing together these converging perspectives, this collection aims to produce actionable, evidence-based knowledge that bridges disciplinary boundaries, informs regulatory and investment decisions, and contributes to safer and more resilient transport systems for communities across the globe. Topic editors: Mohammad M. Hamed, Venky Shankar, Samantha Islam, Narayan Venkataraman Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81112/transport-safety-and-maintenance-for-accident-prevention