Overview

Rethinking Transportation Design, Operation, and Regulation Too often, transportation systems fail the very people they are meant to serve. Although engineers and policymakers design systems based on industry standards, real-world users-drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians-face hazards that are often overlooked. From poorly maintained winter roads to a misalignment in expected versus actual usage due to human factors, these oversights put lives at risk. Forensic transportation engineer Robert Gilchrist evaluates conventional thinking in transportation engineering through a human lens. By discussing the disconnect between industry standards and real-world conditions, he encourages a user-centric approach-one that considers human factors, environmental challenges, and the true cost of system failures. Through case studies, regulation analysis, and expert insights, he challenges current practice and supports an adjustment of baseline thinking to improve safety and decision-making. With decades of experience investigating transportation failures, Gilchrist provides a compelling, accessible guide for engineers, policymakers, lawyers, and system users alike to inspire safer, smarter transportation systems.

Full Product Details

9781966629054

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Mr. Gilchrist has written a very thoughtful, readable, and comprehensive work. His vast length and deep knowledge of experience as a traffic engineer is evident in every chapter and in every topic he covers. This book is an important read for designers, traffic engineers, accident lawyers, and all those interested in understanding and improving traffic safety"" -Norm Keith, BA, JD, LLM, Lawyer, Investigator, Mediator, Arbitrator, Keynote Speaker, and Author ""Robert Gilchrist has five decades of experience in traffic engineering. His book examines in detail many contributing factors leading to traffic accidents such as human error, excessive speed, road design and signage, traffic signals, weather conditions, and road maintenance. A must-read for any serious student of road safety."" -Roger Barker, MA (Cambridge), MS (MIT), PEng, Retired Engineer ""A must-read for trial lawyers and forensic engineers alike. With over five decades of trial experience handling complex cases involving serious injury and death due to roadway safety failures, I found The Transportation Right of Way to be an exceptionally researched work in the field of transportation and traffic engineering. Robert Gilchrist brings unmatched clarity to the complex interplay between traffic engineering and the human factors and standards that govern safety. Filled with real case references and packed with authoritative sources across North America, this book is as insightful as it is accessible-a rare and invaluable resource."" -David F. Smye, King's Counsel, LLD (honoris causa, Ontario Law Society); Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Firm Counsel, Mackesy Smye Lawyers

Author Information

Robert Gilchrist, PEng, MEng, has been a licensed professional engineer in Ontario since 1978. His career has taken him through positions in transportation planning and traffic engineering, where he has been a partner and/or owner of firms providing services to the public and legal community. He has also provided human factors opinions on transportation matters in Ontario's Superior Court.

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