Darmstadt Risk Analysis Method (DRAM)

Abstract

DRAM (Darmstadt Risk Analysis Method), is a structured and effective approach to do risk assessments and other evaluations on complex systems, especially if they are influenced by human behavior. The method is quite general. It does not imply any specific findings. To integrate findings is the task of the different research groups who are using DRAM. The method comprises a language to describe and document findings, to combine them to a bigger entity and to exchange them between different research groups. As in most natural sciences, the method is model-oriented. The vision of DRAM is to provide an overall model of the driver–vehicle–road-system, which is fed from most of the disciplines and research groups and may be used by them. This paper describes the structure of the method and its components and demonstrates its application by an example.