The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission released the Statistical Pocketbook 2024 “EU Transport in figures”. In this Statistical Pocketbook, key road safety Tables are contained, together with several other Tables on transport statistics, providing a complete picture of current trends in transport in Europe. Data on road fatalities for the EU member states and associate countries allow for time series comparisons and country rankings. 
The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety recently launched their mobility snapshot tool, an interactive map which shows the realities of how unsafe the streets are as well as the solutions that can make the communities more livable and sustainable, enabling access to education and work. The data is collected at a specific intersection in the local community from 118 Mobility Snapshots in 44 countries at intersections across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North and South America. Key findings show that more than 156,000 pedestrians use these 118 intersections during peak hour, yet 102 of them lacked traffic calming measures or a speed limit of 30 km/h or lower.
The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety recently published a white paper based on global best practices, in consultation with Alliance member NGOs, ensuring safe motorcycle helmets through appropriate laws, enforcement, and promotion. Through this white paper, the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety and its over 395 member NGOs from more than 100 countries, will help governments achieve the reduction of road fatalities and injuries needed to accomplish the vision of having zero road deaths and injuries by 2030
The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV launched a safe mobility promotion activity focusing on vulnerable road users, providing in-depth analysis of road safety for cyclists, pedestrians, powered two-wheelers, and users of personal mobility devices. According to the new Reports from the European Road Safety Observatory, one key finding shows that infrastructure improvements, such as segregated bike lanes, significantly reduce the risk of serious accidents for cyclists. As for pedestrians, older individuals are disproportionately represented in fatality statistics. Powered Two-Wheelers face a significantly higher risk of dying on European roads compared to other motor vehicle users. The PMD report reveals a sharp rise in incidents involving e-scooters, particularly in cities and highlights the need to address aspects relating to the vehicle, infrastructure and rider behaviour to address this emerging challenge.
The Horizon Europe research project metaCCAZE has recently released a new Blog Post authored by Evi Koliou on AI and Smart Cities. As stated, AI-driven solutions can transform urban environments, since smart traffic control systems are no longer a futuristic concept but a present reality. These AI-driven systems optimise traffic flow, reduce congestion, and cut down emissions. By leveraging connected vehicle data and digital twins—technology that simulates real-world scenarios—we can develop road safety strategies that save lives. A crucial aspect of urban mobility transformation is the widespread adoption of 30 km/h speed limits in cities in Europe and worldwide. Research has shown that reducing speed limits in urban areas can save lives as no other road safety measure before (an average of 37% less fatalities on cities adopted the 30km/h), and creates a more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly environment. By making AI-driven mobility solutions inclusive, particularly for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities. Also, implementing lower speed limits in urban areas plays a key role in this, fostering a safer, more welcoming environment for all.
EU Road Safety Cluster is organizing the First EU Road Safety Cluster Joint Webinar which will take place online, on 25 February 2025. The aim of this webinar is to enhance road safety for users of active and shared mobility, drivers and vulnerable road users using AI, transport modeling, and big data, through the newly-formed EU Road Safety Cluster, a group of EU-funded projects, AI4CCAM, EVENTS, FRODDO, HEIDI, Phoebe, and SOTERIA. The participants will have the opportunity to audience an initial glimpse into the innovative solutions addressed by the cluster’s projects through short spotlight presentations, followed by a brief discussion on current urban road safety challenges.
FACTUAL together with iRAP & POLIS network are organizing the PHOEBE – JULIA webinar which will take place online, on 18 February 2025. The aim of this webinar is to highlight different assessment methods to enhance bicycle safety through the perspective of the two EU-funded projects of PHOEBE and JULIA. Aspects of both projects and their pilot implementations and tests in the two Spanish cities of Valencia and Barcelona will be discussed. These presentations will be put into a wider context related to the current road safety challenges in Europe.
Comune di Bologna has recently published a report on the first year of implementing the 30 km/h speed limit in the city, which has the main objective of the improvement of road safety and the increase of sustainable mobility. This Report showed that for the first time since 1991, no pedestrians were killed and road deaths were reduced by 50%. Also, crashes were reduced by 13% and urban traffic pollution by 30%. Finally, the report indicated that there has been a significant increase in bicycle flows by 10%, as well as the use of car and bike sharing services.
The Y-Mobility latest Conversations in the Park podcast episode “Speed Kills: Is Our ‘Freedom to Drive’ a Danger to Others?” explores the contentious relationship between personal driving freedom and public safety with three global experts in transportation safety and technology willing to say what others won’t: George Yannis, Nick Reed and David Fidalgo, hosted by Timothy Papandreou. Quick reality check:
- More road deaths than all wars combined
- Your SUV? It’s part of the problem
- That 30 km/h limit you hate? It’s saving lives
- Your “excellent driving skills”? That’s part of the problem too
A paper titled Understanding the effects of underreporting on injury severity estimation of single-vehicle motorcycle crashes: A hybrid approach incorporating majority class oversampling and random parameters with heterogeneity-in-means authored by Nawaf Alnawmasi, Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Athanasios Theofilatos and Yasir Ali has been published in Analytic Methods in Accident Research. This study aims to provide an empirical assessment of the impact of underreporting issue using a hybrid approach in estimating injury severity for single-vehicle motorcycle crashes. Key results suggest that crashes occurring during slowing down or stopping are associated with lower injury severity, whereas negotiating a right turn increases the probability of severe injuries. Interestingly, crashes that occur on dry pavements are associated with higher injury severity when compared to wet pavements, likely due to rider behavior adjustments in adverse weather conditions to compensate for the risk. 
The European Union has recently adopted the new Directive to strengthen cross-border enforcement of road traffic rules. The newly adopted rules tackle several road safety issues by enhancing collaboration among Member States, streamlining offender identification and facilitating fine enforcement. Cooperation between national Authorities will not only focus on the most common and serious offenses like speeding, drunk and drugged driving, but also on several other hazardous behaviours.
POLIS, the European Cities Network, is organizing the 2025 Annual Polis Conference which will take place in Utrecht, Netherlands, on 26-27 November 2025. The POLIS Annual Conference is Europe’s leading sustainable urban mobility event, providing an opportunity for cities and regions to showcase their transport achievements, including recent safety developments, to a large audience of mobility experts, practitioners, and decision-makers from both the public and private sector. Urban Road Safety is a key conference priority.
The Université Gustave Eiffel (UGE) in cooperation with the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 are organizing the SaNuiT International Symposium which will take place in Montreal, Canada on 8-9 May 2025, in the context of the 92th Congres Acfas. This conference will focus on good practices and best strategies to reduce the impact of socio-territorial inequalities on road accident injuries. Researchers can submit their proposals until 14 February 2025, by email to the following email address: mouloud.haddak@univ-eiffel.fr.
The International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) of the International Transport Forum (ITF/OECD) published the Road Safety Annual Report 2024, on the development of road safety in 2023. It is based on data from 40 IRTAD member countries, with some preliminary data also for the year 2024. The main findings revealed that in 2023, there were 2.338 less fatalities than in 2022, also road deaths decreased by 2% in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023. However, the considerable journey ahead should be acknowledged, in order to achieve the global target of halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
FPZ in cooperation with AMAC-FSC, Croatian Chamber of Transport Engineers and HoMe – Hochschule are organizing the International Conference – The Science and Development of Transport (TRANSCODE 2025) which will take place in Zagreb, Croatia on 11-12 December 2025, under the theme “The New Era of Transport & Logistics: Balancing Technology, Sustainability and Accessibility “. This Conference is one of the region’s leading conferences in transport and logistics with international recognition and provides the added value of networking, promoting new solutions and ideas, and strengthening one’s position in a professional environment. Researchers can submit their papers until 15 May 2025.
The New Year Event of the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering took place with great success on Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, with the participation of more than 80 members of the Department and the School of Civil Engineering. During the Event, the Director of the DTPE, George Yannis presented the 2024 Annual Report of the educational, research and scientific work of the Department. The Vice Rector of Finance, Infrastructure and Development, Nikolaos Lagaros and the Dean of the School of Civil Engineering, Eleni Vlachogianni addressed the Event.
The 2024 infographic of NTUA Road Safety Observatory (www.nrso.ntua.gr) highlights one more very intensive and highly fruitful year. The nrso scientific team with high dedication, efficiency and expertise continues to grow and excel, being active in 31 innovative research projects, succeeded to publish 55 scientific papers (21 in peer reviewed journals), and travelled around the world in hundreds of meetings to develop and promote road safety science. The 30 Marathons campaign for promoting 30km/h city-wide speed limit was also successfully completed, contributing actively to the culture of calm and safe streets everywhere and for all.
The Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers (HITE) organized with great success the Transportation Engineers Workshop 2025 which took place on 27 January 2025, in Athens. The aim of the Workshop was to discuss the main issues concerning transportation in Greece and urban mobility in Attica, presenting the current situation, analysing future trends and exploring the new challenges for the development of the transportation system. New ideas and innovative discussions were made in order to achieve more modern, reliable and safe mobility everywhere for all. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The Hellenic Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in cooperation with the Municipality of Agia Paraskevi and the Association of Police Officers of Northeast Attica organized with great success the “City 30 and the New Road Traffic Code” 1st Road Safety Workshop on 16 January 2025, in Athens. The main focuses of this event included information on the new regulations, as well as good practices to enhance road safety. The workshop was targeted at the general public, with the aim of raising awareness of road safety, reducing road accidents and creating more sustainable and safer urban areas. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The Association for European Transport is organizing the 53rd European Transport Conference which will take place in Antwerp, Belgium on 17-19 September 2025. This Conference provides an excellent opportunity for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and solutions among the academic community, professionals, and policymakers. The conference will address local, national, and international issues, focusing on defining, planning, and delivering solutions across all levels and modes of transport. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 7 February 2025. 
