Human Errors and Transport Accidents

The paper discusses the part played by three psychological processes, here called ‘ the false hypothesis ’. ‘ pro-occupation ’ and ‘ emergency mechanisms ’, in the causation of transport accidents. Some of the experiments in which those processes have been studied in the laboratory are described. Explanations of the errors responsible for certain train collisions, when the driver had passed one or more signals at danger, and for certain aircraft accidents are suggested by reference to one or other of these processes.