The Horizon Europe research project metaCCAZE has recently released a new Blog Post authored by George Yannis on the new Greek Road Traffic Code. The new Road Traffic Code introduces city-wide 30 km/h speed limit in all urban streets of one or two directions with a single lane per direction, making Greece the second EU country after Spain to implement such a measure. It is also rationalising and simplifying penalties and linking them to the offences’ seriousness and magnitude. Furthermore it introduces a number of correct and necessary traffic management provisions with emphasis on motorcycles and the 30km/h speed limit in cities. 
The Horizon 2020 research project PHOEBE has recently released the PHOEBE 5th Newsletter, which provides information on the latest outcomes of the EU-funded ‘Predictive Approaches for Safer Urban Environment’ (PHOEBE) project aiming to increase the road safety of vulnerable road users, especially those who use active mobility and e-scooters. Particular attention was given to the conclusion of the Project’s model development for the safety of vulnerable road users and the safety use case implementation.
The European Platform of Transport Sciences (EPTS) organized with great success the 23rd European Transport Congress which was held in Paris, France on 26-27 June 2025, under the theme “Future of European transport : infrastructure, service and technologies“. Every year, this Congress brings together transport researchers from all disciplines and from all over Europe. NTUA actively contributed with the following paper and presentation:
NTUA actively contributed with the following paper and presentation:
The European Commission together with 2Zero, ERTRAC, CCAM and BATT4EU are organizing the Road Transport Research Results Conference (RTR Conference) will take place in Brussels, on 10-12 February 2026. For the past eight years, the RTR Conference has been a unique entry point into the achievements of EU-funded projects in road transport. This year’s 9th edition Conference is expected to attract its largest audience to date, with more than 500 participants on-site, emphasizing the importance of pre-competitive collaborative research in road transport at the European level.
A paper titled Investigating the impact of in-vehicle warning information complexity on drivers: The role of working memory capacity and cognitive load authored by Kunchen Li, Wei Yuan, George Yannis, Fuwei Wu and Chang Wang has been published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. This Paper investigates the impact of the complexity of the warning messages on the behavior and physiological states of the driver, taking into account individual differences in working memory capacity and cognitive load levels. A total of 37 participants were recruited to conduct a mixed design driving simulation experiment, with working memory capacity treated as a between-subjects factor. The analysis included correlation as well as a Generalized Linear Mixed-effects Model (GLMM). The findings suggest that visually rich warnings lead to increased braking reaction times, especially between drivers having low working memory capacity and under high cognitive load. These findings offer theoretical insights to assist manufacturers in designing human-centered, personalized, and adaptive in-vehicle warning systems. 
The European Survey of Road users’ safety Attitudes (ESRA) together with VIAS Institute organized with great success the ESRA: 10 years event of global road safety insights and impact which took place in Brussels, Belgium on 24 June 2025. This event was a unique opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the ESRA initiative and its impact on road safety policy. Key findings from 10 years of research were presented, unveiling a dedicated report and the new ESRA dashboard, and will be explored how these insights can drive future improvements in road safety. Furthermore, ESRA4 was introduced, the next phase in the mission to create safer roads through data-driven strategies. 
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) organized with great success the 2025 ETSC Road Safety Performance Index Conference which took place in Brussels, Belgium on 24 June 2025. ETSC presented the findings of the PIN Annual Report looking at progress in reducing road deaths and serious injuries across Europe. Furthermore, a panel discussion looked at how reducing speed could help reach the 2030 target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50%. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has also awarded its 2025 Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) Award to Norway, recognizing its long-term performance in improving road safety. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The 10th Road Safety & Simulation International Conference 2026 (RSS2026) hosted by the University of Naples Federico II will be held in Napoli, on 23-26 June 2026, under the theme “Advancing Towards the Safe System Approach”. The Conference aims to explore how the Safe System Approach has been embraced by the transportation community as an effective way to prevent fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 31 October 2025.
A paper titled E-scooter riders: A cross-cultural analysis of traffic safety attitudes and behaviors authored by Milad Delavary, Craig Lyon, Ward G.M. Vanlaar, Robyn D. Robertson, Dimitrios Nikolaou and George Yannis has been published in IATSS Research. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of self-reported risky behaviors across various demographic groups and regions, and to assess factors contributing to the likelihood of unsafe e-scooter riding behavior. To achieve this, data from the third edition of the E-Survey of Road users’ Attitudes (ESRA) were utilized, focusing on responses from 39 countries worldwide. This paper included descriptive analysis and also mixed-effects logistic regression models were employed. The findings suggest that younger individuals and males are more likely to use e-scooters and engage in risky behaviors. Key factors influencing or associated with these behaviors included previous crash involvement, student status, and permissive attitudes toward safety regulations. Furthermore the study highlights the need for targeted safety interventions that address infrastructural factors as well as behavioral factors, including demographic and attitudinal influences.
The European Commission is organising the TRAVisions competitions for transport research awards to be announced in a prestigious award ceremony within the Transport Research Arena Conference (TRA) on 18-21 May 2026 in Budapest (abstract submission deadline: 30/6/2025):
- TRAVisions 2026 Young Researcher Competition, is aimed at University and Technical Institute students pursuing bachelor, master and PhD degrees
- TRAVisions 2026 Senior Researcher Competition, a competition for Senior Researchers in the field of innovative surface transport concepts based on results only from EU-funded projects
A paper titled Validating traffic simulation for crash risk assessment using field crash data authored by Maria Oikonomou and George Yannis has been published in Journal of Safety Research. This study aims to bridge the gap between simulation models and real-world safety observations, contributing to the advancement of more robust safety assessment methodologies. Utilizing Aimsun Next, simulation data were analyzed to extract traffic conflicts, which were then converted into crash risk levels, as well ass real-world crash data between 2017 and 2019. The analysis of simulation and observational data revealed two distinct clusters: roads with low and high crash risks, clearly distinguished with minimal overlap. The findings suggest approximately 87.7% accuracy in predicting road crash risk classifications through traffic simulation, confirming its reliability for safety assessment. This paper validates a framework ready for future research applications in scenarios where direct observation is impractical, enhancing road safety and guiding interventions within evolving traffic conditions and technologies.
The International Road Traffic Safety Analysis and Data (IRTAD) Group of the International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently launched a new and highly useful interactive Road Safety Dashboard, showcasing up-to-date crash and mortality data from 35 IRTAD member countries. This Dashboard is exploiting the long-standing IRTAD database, with data collected directly from relevant national data providers. This data includes county strategies and targets, road fatality data from 2013 to 2023 with country comparisons and country profiles with road fatalities by user group and mortality rate by age.
The European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures (ASECAP) is organizing for the third year a European day awareness Campaign on 25 June 2025, to draw public attention on safety of staff working on motorways. This Campaign titled “Strengthening Patroller Safety on European Roads” aims to take a European dimension supported throughout the network operated by ASECAP members. This year, with the engagement of new concessionaires and countries, the Campaign aims to go even further – promoting mutual respect, empathy, and concrete action between all road users.
EIT Urban Mobility has just published the EIT Urban Mobility Academic Research Board Annual Report: Strategic Research Priorities and Gaps, with the active contribution of NTUA. This Report outlines key challenges in urban mobility across Europe and highlights five core priority areas: economic productivity, resilience and adaptation, decarbonization, health and safety, and accessibility and inclusion. The Report presents a high-level perspective on knowledge gaps and future research priorities which are examined in the context of societal goals, systemic pressures, and critical policy levers, bringing together leading researchers from across Europe and beyond.
A paper titled Mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease dementia, and predictors of driving cessation: A 7-year longitudinal prospective study authored by Petros Stamatelos, Ion Beratis, Panagiota Hatzaki, Alexandra Economou, Nikolaos Andronas, Dimosthenis Pavlou, Stella Fragkiadaki, Dionysia Kontaxopoulou, Anastasios Bonakis, Leonidas Stefanis, George Yannis and Sokratis Papageorgiou has been published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. This paper aims to identify predictors of driving cessation among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD). The 109 participants underwent a neurological, neuropsychological and driving simulator assessment with re-evaluations after 48 and 84 months including a structured interview with the patients and their caregiver. Primary endpoints were driving cessation, death and progression to dementia. The findings suggest that age, SVF and mTWT are significant predictors of driving cessation among MCI and AD patients. Furthermore, driving simulator may be a promising component of driving evaluation.
At a recent podcast in 4NewMobility Leadership Talk, NTUA Professor George Yannis provided a technical conversation, hosted by Astrid Rohles, about 30 km/h speed zones which turned into something much bigger: a vision for healthier, safer and more human cities. He emphasized that speeding remains the norm in urban mobility, endangering lives, discouraging active travel and fueling pollution. From empirical results across 17 European cities to his personal 30 Marathons in 30 months campaign, Prof. Yannis made a passionate and data-driven case for a European-wide roll-out of this low-cost, high-impact measure.
The solution? A coordinated European approach:
- Make 30 km/h the default in urban areas
- Support cities with infrastructure redesign
- Pair soft nudges with smart enforcement
- Communicate, measure and repeat
The 13th Symposium of European Association for Research in Transportation (hEART2025) took place with great success in Munich, on 10-12 June 2025. The Symposium offered an opportunity for in depth discussion in all scientific methods and analyses in transport. NTUA actively contributed with the following papers, posters and presentations:
NTUA actively contributed with the following papers, posters and presentations:
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The use of Graph Neural Networks for Clustering in Road Safety Analysis - Classifying Vehicle Cornering Behavior using Mobile Sensor Data
- Predictive Modeling of Pedestrian Violations Using Ensemble Learning: A Case Study at an Urban Intersection in Athens, Greece
- Preferences of Public Transport Passengers Towards Contactless Card Payments – The Case of Greece
- Driver and road environment assessment for identifying Safety Tolerance Zone using machine learning techniques
The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) in cooperation with Austroads are organizing the Australasian Road Safety Conference 2025 (ARSC), which will be held in Perth, Australia on 20-23 October 2025. This Conference under the theme “Equity, Elasticity and Evolution” is expected to bring together road safety stakeholders and decision-makers from Australasia and international jurisdictions to facilitate collaboration and share information. Researchers can register until 19 October 2025.
Researchers can register until 19 October 2025.
The new Greek Road Traffic Code introduces city-wide 30 km/h speed limit in all urban streets of one or two directions with a single lane per direction, making Greece the second EU country after Spain to implement such a measure. A bold move of the Greek Government towards a new road safety culture, with a brand-new Road Traffic Code with the active contribution of National Technical University of Athens:
with the active contribution of National Technical University of Athens:
- rationalising and simplifying penalties, linking them to offences’ seriousness & magnitude,
- punishing drivers instead of vehicles, especially recidivists,
- introducing two-wheelers filtering & advance stopping zones,
- expanding calm driving with city-wide 30km/h speed limits,
- and getting ready for wide deployment of cameras and fines digital management.
The Dutch Institute for Road Safety (SWOV) organized with great success the Trendline 2025 Conference which took place in The Hague, Netherlands on 10-11 June 2025, a key event for professionals working with road safety data, policy, and innovation. This Conference presented the results of the initial road safety KPIs, compared these with the Baseline values, discussed the methodologies for the new KPIs, and showed how KPIs can be used to support road safety policies. 
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
