This year we followed our dreams, promoting intensively road safety scientific excellence and safer mobility everywhere and for all, including also our major campaign for city-wide 30km/h speed limits; the new catalyzer for saving so many lives with so little change in our habits.
At mid-way to the decade -50% target, we need to further strengthen our individual and collective efforts to sincerely include traffic safety into the mobility agenda and persist in implementing the vision zero traffic fatalities.
We thank you all for the excellent cooperation and we are sending you our very best wishes for Merry Christmas and a Very Lucky New Year, full of personal and professional achievements. 
At a recent “Travelling Differently Podcast“, NTUA Professor George Yannis emphasized the necessity of city-wide 30km/h speed limits, highlighting significant safety benefits. He referred to several analyses data demonstrating that European cities implementing this measure have achieved an average 37% reduction in road fatalities. The importance of protecting vulnerable road users was highlighted, noting that the 30km/h speeds limits not only enhance road safety but also promotes walking, cycling and public transport. The need for a shift from policy intentions to concrete actions was emphasized, with focus on the role of Authorities in driving societal change. Professor George Yannis also pointed to the over-dependence on private cars in Greece, describing urban roads as “passenger car warehouses”. Particular emphasis should be given on the need to reimagine urban mobility, with the city-wide 30km/h speed limit identified as a unique pivotal measure for fostering safer and more sustainable cities. The full article and the related audio-podcast are now available. 
The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published a new Report titled “Measuring New Mobility: Case Studies and Best Practices“. The Report features case studies from various countries, focusing on new mobility services such as ride-sharing, micro-mobility, and autonomous vehicles. Key findings emphasize the importance of robust data collection and analysis methods to assess the safety, efficiency, and environmental impacts of these services. The report provides recommendations for policymakers to design effective frameworks for integrating new mobility into existing transport systems. 
ChiGreece together with Greek SIGCHI organized with great success the ACM GreekCHI Symposium 2024 which was held online, on December 7 2024. This conference focused on the theme “Designing for a Better World” and brought together researchers, professionals, and students from academia and industry to explore how Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and usability principles can foster inclusive, user-friendly designs. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (EuroSafe) in cooperation with the Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) and LaHeRS are organizing the EU-Safety 2025 Conference which will take place in Heraklion, Greece on 1-2 October 2025. This conference aims to strengthen the field of injury prevention and safety promotion in Europe by facilitating the exchange of scientific knowledge and enabling networking opportuni10ties for researchers, safety organisations and academics.
The European Council has recently adopted the negotiating position on driving disqualifications in order to improve road safety in the EU aimed at improving road safety through the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications across EU member states. This initiative focuses on strengthening enforcement measures for serious traffic offenses, such as speeding, driving under the influence, and dangerous driving, ensuring that penalties are upheld across borders. The proposed rules aim to enhance road safety by closing legal gaps that allow offenders to evade penalties when driving in other EU countries.
The 2025 International Research Council on the Biomechanics of Injury (IRCOBI) Europe Conference will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 10-12 September 2025. Through scientific conferences, training courses and other activities, the IRCOBI Council provides an academically rigorous forum for dissemination of the latest research into injury causation and protective systems.
The European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI) organized with great success the TG Safety & Security Meeting, which took place in Athens, Greece on 27 November 2024 hosted by the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering of the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). The scope of the Safety Thematic Group concerns safety culture, safe mobility for all, automation and digitalization safety implications, transport safety data collection and use and safety in junctions. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
The European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI) organized with great success the 2024 Autumn General Assembly which took place in Athens, Greece on November 25-26, 2024, hosted by the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering of the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). ECTRI achievements and progress on the priorities outlined in the Implementation Plan for 2023-2024 were presented, together with several key activities, including the continuous progress of the European Transport Research Review (ETRR) journal and the forthcoming major EU Transport Research Conference TRA 2026 and related TRAVISIONS competitions, to be held in Budapest, Hungary. The meeting also marked the election of the Members of the Board of Directors for the term 2025-2027. President Ingrid Skogsmo was re-elected, together with NTUA Prof. George Yannis as Board Member. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
POLIS, the European Cities Network, organised with great success the 2024 Annual Polis Conference, which took place in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, on 27-28 November 2024. 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. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) in cooperation with the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) organized with great success the PIN Talk “Improving the safety of e-scooter riders”, which took place in Rome, Italy, on November 15, 2024. This event focused in addressing current challenges, share best practices, and propose safety measures to support the safe integration of e-scooters in urban environments across Europe. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
A paper titled Predicting risky driving behavior with classification algorithms: results from a large-scale field-trial and simulator experiment authored by Thodoris Garefalakis, Eva Michelaraki, Stella Roussou Christos Katrakazas, Tom Brijs and George Yannis has been published in European Transport Research Review. The study analyzed large-scale data from real-world driving and simulator experiments, highlighting that models can predict dangerous behaviors, such as speeding and harsh braking, with accuracy rates as high as 84%. The findings emphasize the importance of using data-driven approaches to anticipate and mitigate risky behaviors, which are a leading cause of road crashes. This research reinforces the need for innovative tools to create safer driving environments and reduce accident risks. 
A paper titled Spatial analysis of telematics-based surrogate safety measures authored by Dimitrios Nikolaou, Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Armira Kontaxi, Athanasios Theofilatos and George Yannis has been published in Journal of Safety Research. This study investigates the effects of traffic calming measures such as speed humps, chicanes, and roundabouts on road safety, air quality, and noise pollution. The findings reveal that implementing traffic calming strategies such as speed humps, chicanes, and roundabouts can reduce traffic crashes by more than 25%, with a remarkable 40% decrease in severe injuries involving vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. These measures also encourage safer driving behaviors by lowering vehicle speeds, which significantly enhances safety in densely populated urban areas.
An open-access book titled “Shared Mobility Revolution: Pioneering Autonomous Horizons” was recently published under the framework of the Horizon 2020 project SHOW (SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption). This book reports on technologies and business models focusing on supporting the deployment of shared, connected, and electrified automation in urban transport. Chapters discuss practical issues concerning mobility data management, strategies to improve user acceptance and engagement, and reports on assessment and simulation techniques to test shared automated shuttles in various contexts. These discussions provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers shaping user-centered, sustainable future automated mobility. NTUA actively contributed with the following chapter, co-authored by Maria Oikonomou, Marios Sekadakis, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis:
The European Commission and the Hungarian Public Roads together with the European Transport Research Platforms ACARE, ALICE, CEDR, ECTP, ERRAC, ERTRAC, ETRA and Waterborne are organizing the Transport Research Arena Conference (TRA2026) which will take place in Budapest, Hungary on 18-21 May 2026. The conference aims to advance sustainable, inclusive, and innovative transportation solutions under the theme “ReGeneration in Transport”.
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) together with World Road Association (PIARC) are organizing the 7th International Conference on Roundabouts and Geometric Design, which will take place in Atlanta, GA on 8-12 June 2025. This interactive conference promotes idea sharing, research, and showcases noteworthy practices and solutions. Mini, compact, multi-lane, and turbo roundabouts will all be featured. The primary objective of the conference is to support and advance global safety, efficiency, equity, and resilience efforts in roadway, interchange, and intersection design for a more sustainable transportation system. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 6 December 2024.
The Edinburgh Napier University together with EWGT and EURO are organizing the 27th Euro Working Group on Transportation Conference (EWGT 2025) which will be held on 1-3 September 2025 in Edinburgh, UK. EWGT is a premier international forum for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of transportation and logistics. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 19 January 2025.
The International Commission for Driver Testing (CIECA) in cooperation with ANIECA are organizing the 57th CIECA Congress, which will be held in Porto, on 28-29 May 2025. This congress, titled “Assessing the difference – different strategies towards a common goal: Vision Zero”, will be bringing together professionals to discuss innovations and best practices in driver training and assessment. Researchers can submit their papers until 6 December 2025.
A paper titled “The HADRIAN novel human–machine interface prototype for automated driving: safety and impact assessment” authored by Marios Sekadakis, Marianthi Kallidoni, Christos Katrakazas, Sandra Trösterer, Cyril Marx, Peter Moertl and George Yannis has been published in European Transport Research Review. The study, assesses the impact of innovative Human–Machine Interface (HMI) prototypes on safety, driving performance, and driver perceptions, focusing on automated driving at SAE Levels 2 or 3. A tailored safety and impact assessment methodology, incorporating Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), highlighted key features that contributed to improved safety and perceived effectiveness. These results suggest that HADRIAN HMI reached a remarkable 95% safety score, marking a substantial improvement over the baseline condition.
The International Road Federation (IRF) together with TotalEnergies recently launched an International Registry for Road Safety Auditors at the IRF World Congress 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey. This registry aims to be a global platform in order to recognize qualified auditors and improve road safety standards. By setting universal benchmarks, the registry supports safer roads and reduces traffic injuries worldwide. This initiative ensures better access to skilled professionals for road safety projects globally.
