Overview
ISO 39002:2020 - "Road traffic safety - Good practices for implementing commuting safety management" provides guideline-based good practices for organizations to manage commuting risks. Its objective is to reduce fatalities, serious injuries, injury severity, property damage and economic loss from commuting crashes. The standard is applicable to any organization (including schools and commercial transport/fleet operators) and specifically addresses protection of commuters and vulnerable road users (VRU) through a proactive, systematic approach.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 39002:2020 outlines practical, actionable areas rather than prescriptive technical specifications. Key topics include:
- Scope and intent: Guidelines to implement commuting safety management across organizations to mitigate commuting crashes.
- PDCA approach: Uses the Plan–Do–Check–Act cycle to set objectives, deploy resources, monitor performance and drive continual improvement in commuting safety.
- Factors affecting commuting crashes: Analysis of contributors grouped into road users (competency, health/fitness, behaviour), vehicles, and road/environment.
- Roles and responsibilities: Clarifies responsibilities for organizations, employees/students and government/interested parties.
- Good practices recommendations: Core recommendations include:
- Commitment and integration into RTS policy
- Commuting incident reporting, investigation and near‑miss handling
- Journey and risk management (route planning, modal choices)
- Family safety reminders and safety pledges
- Periodic vehicle inspection and maintenance
- Consequence management and health/fitness checks
- Training, awareness campaigns and engagement with stakeholders
- Crash response planning and commuting incident management review
- Further practices: Organizational commuting profiling, incentives, alternative working arrangements, rest facilities, shift management, CSR and community programmes, post-crash work assignment.
- Supporting materials: Annexes provide example tools (road hazard mapping, family safety reminders, inspection checklists, sample driver training content).
Practical applications - who uses ISO 39002:2020
This guidance is intended for:
- Employers and corporate safety managers seeking to reduce commuting risk for employees
- Fleet operators and commercial transport organizations implementing safer commuting policies and vehicle inspection regimes
- Schools and education institutions protecting students and staff during home–school travel
- Occupational safety professionals, road safety officers and CSR teams designing community programmes and awareness campaigns
Benefits include lowered commuting crash rates, improved road safety culture, legal and reputational risk reduction, and potential societal and economic gains.
Related standards and references
- ISO 39001 - Road traffic safety (RTS) management systems (normative reference)
- ISO 39002 complements ISO 39001 by focusing on commuting-specific good practices, tools and implementation guidance.
Keywords: ISO 39002:2020, commuting safety management, road traffic safety, commuting crash, vulnerable road users, fleet operators, journey risk management, PDCA.
