Author: Ioannis Papadogiorgakis
Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) recently published a new Report titled “Improving the Road Safety of E-scooters“. This Report calls for the development of mandatory technical requirements for all e-scooters sold in the European Union, highlighting the need for stronger road safety measures across Europe. Key recommendations include stricter e-scooter safety standards, such as a 20 km/h speed limit, to address rising urban safety concerns. Enhanced regulations aim to ensure safer roads for all users. 
A paper titled “Effectiveness of 30 km/h speed limit – A literature review” authored by George Yannis and Eva Michelaraki has been published in Journal of Safety Research. This study evaluates the impact of 30 km/h speed limits on road safety, emissions, fuel consumption, traffic flow, livability and public health. It was revealed that city-wide 30 km/h speed limit can save (on average) over 40% of lives, 30% of crashes, 20% of emissions and 3.7 dB of noise, while no impact in travel times was observed. Results demonstrated significant subsequent increase of active travelling (pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooters) and Public Transport passengers, as mobility conditions become more user friendly to the vulnerable road users. Public awareness campaigns and promoting active mobility options, such as walking and cycling, could further support the adoption of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits. 
The Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT/CERTH) in cooperation with the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers (HITE) are organizing the 12th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR 2025), which will take place on 16-18 October 2025 in Thessaloniki, Greece. The spotlight theme of the 2025 Congress is “Transportation in the era of Artificial Intelligence”. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 31 January 2025. 
The Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) is organizing the 24th Road Safety Hackathon, which will take place in Riga, Latvia, on November 15-17, 2024. This event aims to collaborate, innovate and create solutions to improve road safety. Members and observers from many countries will enrich the discussion aiming to help improve road safety. 
The Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) already organized with great success three Warm-up Events prior to the main event which were held online on 25 October, 4 and 8 November 2024, with the active support of NTUA which contributed with the following presentations:
The Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) already organized with great success three Warm-up Events prior to the main event which were held online on 25 October, 4 and 8 November 2024, with the active support of NTUA which contributed with the following presentations:
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) in cooperation with the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) are organizing the PIN Talk “Improving the safety of e-scooter riders”, which will take place in Rome, Italy, on November 15, 2024. This event aims to address current challenges, share best practices, and propose safety measures to support the safe integration of e-scooters in urban environments across Europe.
The University of Twente together with TRAIL organized with great success the Cycling, Micromobility and Road Safety Seminar in Enschede, Netherlands on 1 November 2024. The primary focus of this seminar was to support micromoblility efforts toward safer roads across Europe. NTUA Professor George Yannis actively contributed with the following presentation:
POLIS, the European Cities Network, has organized with great success the Safety and Security Working Group Meeting which was held online on 30 October 2024. The POLIS Safety and Security Working Group focused on the effectiveness of lower speed limits and Low-Traffic Neighborhoods in enhancing road safety. NTUA Professor George Yannis actively contributed with the following presentation:
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has published a Position Paper titled “EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 Funds for Road Safety“. In this paper, ETSC presents recommendations for funding for road safety initiatives within the next long-term EU budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). These recommendations should support work towards meeting EU’s Vision Zero target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030, paving the way for safer roads across Europe.
The European Union Road Federation (ERF) has released the updated Recommendations for Sign Inspection. These guidelines provide the road community with important updated information on practices and technical recommendations to reduce roadside injuries and fatalities. The publication aligns with the EU’s Vision Zero goals, emphasizing the importance of safe infrastructure in accident prevention and injury mitigation.
The Horizon Europe research project IMPROVA has recently released the IMPROVA 1st Consortium Newsletter, which provides information on the latest outcomes of the EU-funded IMPROVA project focusing on advancing injury mitigation strategies to help achieve Vision Zero, under the European Commission’s Transport and Mobility sector.
The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published a new Summary Report titled “Advancing Sustainable Mobility in Greece: Supporting SUMPs uptake“. This initiative supports Greek cities in developing and implementing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) that focus on environmentally friendly and safe transport solutions, such as walking, cycling, and public transport. It offers Greek local authorities practical guidance and tools to optimize transport planning, ensuring safer and more sustainable urban mobility systems, in order to achieve climate neutrality by the year 2030.
A paper titled “Cost benefit analyst of reducing speed limits in Athens to 30 Km/h” authored by Stella Roussou, Virginia Petraki, Katerina Deliali, Armira Kontaxi and George Yannis has been published in Case Studies on Transport Policy. The study highlights the benefits of lowering speed limits in Athens from 50 km/h to 30 km/h, including a 30-40% reduction in traffic crashes and a 20-25% decrease in injury severity . Additionally, the policy could lead to lower by 10-15% CO2 emissions and improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. The overall benefits are projected to outweigh the costs by 3 to 5 times, making it a highly effective policy for safer, more sustainable urban mobility.
UNECE has introduced new Guidelines and Recommendations aimed at enhancing cycling networks and promoting cycling as a sustainable and safe mode of transportation. These Guidelines emphasize the need for well-connected cycling infrastructure and the integration of cycling into national transport systems. By prioritizing safer cycling routes, the Guidelines aim to achieve safer, healthier and more environmentally friendly urban and rural mobility. This initiative is expected to play a key role in shaping future transport policies across Europe.
The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) announced at the IRF World Congress 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey, the enhancement of the Star Rating for Designs (SR4D), a Tool that allows the safety of road designs to be measured before the commencement of civil works. Using the Tool, road engineers and designers can define a road’s geometry and code its features to obtain a globally recognised iRAP safety Star Rating, along with fatal and serious injury estimations, and safety investment plans to optimise safety.
Road Safety Support organized with great success the National Safer Roads Partnerships Conference which took place in Manchester, on 25-26 September 2024. Key topics discussed in this conference were science and technology within policing, a new way to measure traffic safety and road safety as a government priority. NTUA Professor George Yannis actively contributed with the following key-note presentation:
