Objective: The purpose of this paper is to introduce new research trends of human error and accident modeling and to suggest future promising research directions in those areas. Background: Various methods and techniques have been developed to understand the nature of human errors, to classify them, to analyze their causes, to prevent their negative effects, and to use their concepts during design process. However, it has been reported that they are impractical and ineffective for modern complex systems, and new research approaches are needed to secure the safety of those systems. Method: Six different perspectives to study human error and system safety are explained, and then seven recent research trends are introduced in relation to the six perspectives. The implications of the new research trends and viable research directions based on them are discussed from a cognitive systems engineering point of view. Results: Traditional methods for analyzing human errors and identifying causes of accidents have critical limitations in complex systems, and recent research trends seem to provide some insights and clues for overcoming them. Conclusion: Recent research trends of human error and accident modeling emphasize different concepts and viewpoints, which include systems thinking, sociotechnical perspective, ecological modelling, system resilience, and safety culture. Application: The research topics explained in this paper will help researchers to establish future research programmes.