Overview

Requirements for a road traffic safety management system enabling organizations that interact with the road traffic system to reduce death and serious injury from road traffic crashes they can influence. Amended in 2024 for climate action changes.

ISO 39001:2012 specifies requirements for a road traffic safety (RTS) management system to enable an organization that interacts with the road traffic system to reduce death and serious injuries related to road traffic crashes which it can influence. It remains the current edition; Amendment 1:2024 introduced the climate action changes applied across ISO management system standards, and a second edition is under development within ISO/TC 241 but has not been published.

The Safe System approach. ISO 39001 is built on the Safe System philosophy that underpins international road safety policy: human beings make mistakes and are physically vulnerable, so the road transport system should be designed so that mistakes do not result in death or serious injury. The standard therefore focuses on outcomes — deaths and serious injuries — rather than on incident counts or property damage, and it directs organizations to the factors they can actually influence.

RTS performance factors. A distinguishing feature of the standard is its structured set of performance factors that an organization must consider. These include exposure factors such as distance travelled, volume of traffic and modal choice; final outcome factors, meaning deaths and serious injuries; and intermediate outcome factors — the leading indicators that predict outcomes, including road design and speed management, use of appropriate vehicles, driver fitness and fatigue, speed, use of seatbelts and protective equipment, impairment through alcohol or drugs, journey planning, driver licensing and competence, vehicle safety standards and maintenance, and emergency response and post-crash care. The organization selects the factors relevant to its operations and sets measurable objectives against them.

Who it applies to. The standard applies to any organization that interacts with the road traffic system, which is far broader than transport companies. Fleet operators and logistics providers are the obvious users, but it also applies to organizations whose employees drive for work, to local and national road authorities that design and maintain infrastructure, to public transport operators, to schools and employers generating trips, and to organizations procuring transport services from others.

Structure and integration. ISO 39001 follows the standard management system architecture: context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement. Because it shares this structure with ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety), ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, it is commonly integrated into an existing system rather than run separately. The overlap with ISO 45001 is particularly close for organizations where driving is the main workplace risk — work-related road risk sits at the boundary of the two standards.

Certification. ISO 39001 is a certifiable management system standard and third-party certification is available from accredited certification bodies. It is used by transport operators, public authorities and large employers, and appears in procurement requirements in some markets, particularly where a client wants assurance about the road safety performance of its logistics supply chain.

Purpose

To specify requirements for a road traffic safety management system so that organizations interacting with the road traffic system can systematically reduce the death and serious injury arising from road traffic crashes they are able to influence.

Key Benefits

• Outcome-focused framework targeting deaths and serious injuries
• Structured set of exposure, intermediate and final outcome performance factors
• Applicable to fleets, employers, road authorities and transport buyers alike
• Integrates with ISO 45001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 systems
• Supports management of work-related road risk within occupational safety programmes
• Third-party certification available and recognized in procurement in some markets
• Aligned with the internationally adopted Safe System approach

Key Requirements

• Determine organizational context, interested parties and RTS management system scope
• Demonstrate leadership commitment and establish a road traffic safety policy
• Identify how the organization interacts with and can influence the road traffic system
• Select relevant RTS performance factors and set measurable RTS objectives
• Plan actions to achieve objectives and address risks and opportunities
• Provide resources, competence, awareness and communication
• Establish operational planning and control, including journey and vehicle management
• Prepare for emergency situations and post-crash response
• Monitor, measure and analyse RTS performance including crash investigation
• Conduct internal audit and management review
• Manage nonconformity, incidents, corrective action and continual improvement

Who Needs This Standard?

Fleet and logistics operators, bus and coach and taxi operators, road authorities and municipalities, large employers whose staff drive for work, construction and utilities organizations with vehicle fleets, and organizations procuring road transport services who want assurance on supplier road safety.

Related Standards