The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), the International Road Federation (IRF) and the FIA Foundation have launched a SaferRoadsPledge campaign calling on organisations involved in designing and financing roads to pledge their commitment to safer roads ahead of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety recommends using Road Safety Audits and Star Ratings to lift the safety of roads and designs. Road designers and financing institutions from the government and private sector are called on to commit their support for safer roads that enable more sustainable mobility. 

The European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures (ASECAP), supported by the Asociación de Empresas Constructoras y Concesionarias de Infraestructuras (SEOPAN), is organising the ASECAP days conference, which will be held in Madrid, on 26-28 May 2025. This conference with theme “Challenge of Future Mobility – The Role of Road Infrastructure” will focus on various topics concerning road safety, such as how to reach zero fatalities, driving innovation, digital twin-based maintenance and monitoring for road infrastructure solutions and the impact of deployment of zero emission vehicles on road infrastructure. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 27 September 2024. 

A paper titled “Analysis of harsh braking and harsh acceleration occurrence via explainable imbalanced machine learning using high-resolution smartphone telematics and traffic data” authored by Apostolos Ziakopoulos has been published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. Subsequently, Synthetic Minority Oversampling TEchnique (SMOTE) was applied due to class imbalance and then binary classification was conducted to detect factors leading to harsh brakes (HB) and harsh accelerations (HA) occurrence.  Results reveal strong nonlinear effects on harsh event occurrence, with individual speed and traffic flow parameters showing the highest influence, followed by exposure parameters such as segment length and pass count. However, network characteristics such as number of lanes, and speed limit had limited influence on harsh events occurrence, as did behaviors such as mobile phone engagement and speeding. 

Elsevier’s Transportation Research (TR) family of journals is organising the Transportation Research Symposium (TRS), which will be held at the Postillion Hotel, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 25-28 May 2025. This conference will cover various themes concerning road safety, including policy & practice, methodological operations research, implications of emerging technologies, transport, environment, sustainability, logistics, traffic psychology and behaviour safety. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 15 November 2024. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Transports and Logistics of Morocco are organising the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety which will be held at Marrakech, Morocco, on 18-20 February 2025. This conference with theme “Committed to Life”, will bring leaders and experts together to assess the progress made in implementing the Global Plan 2021-2030 during its initial five-year period and to generate support for the new vision of safe and sustainable mobility. Registration until 10 February 2025. 

The 9th Road Safety & Simulation International Conference 2024 (RSS2024) hosted by the Kentucky Transportation Center will take place in Lexington, Kentucky, on 28-31 October 2024, under the theme “Improving Decisions Through Safety and Simulation Tools”. The Conference aims to improve upon the existing knowledge in the area of road safety and contribute to reducing the number of crash fatalities and injuries occurring worldwide, through the dissemination of innovative research and applications. Participants can register here. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published the 2023 Status Report on Road Safety for the Africa Region. According to this Report, road traffic death rates during the period 2010-2021 have increased significantly in the African region, with 17% increase in road-related fatalities, despite being home to only 15% of the world’s population, and 3% of its vehicles. Conversely, global rates fell by 5% during the same period. WHO recommends concerted efforts to implement a range of interventions, in order to strengthen national road safety strategies in Africa.  

The Moped Riders & Motorcyclists Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report describes the frequency of riding a moped or a motorcycle, the use of infrastructure, the road crash involvement, the acceptability of unsafe traffic behaviour, the safety perception of using moped and motorcycle, the rates of self-declared behaviour and factors associated with risky riding behaviours. Furthermore, it includes comparisons among the participating countries as well as results in relation to age and gender.  

The new EU road fatalities by area and road type table of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2022, provides an overall view of the distribution of fatalities between the different road types. According to this table, only 9.3% of road fatalities in EU-24 occurred in motorways and 53% of road fatalities occurred on non motorway rural roads. 

The new EU road fatalities by road user type table of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2022, provides an overall view of the distribution of fatalities between the different road users. It can be clearly observed that car drivers are the largest road user group among road fatalities in all EU countries. Furthermore, together with car passengers, car drivers account for 53% of all fatalities. 

According to the provisional data from CARE database and European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), road fatalities in Europe in 2023 presented a slight decrease (1%) compared to 2022 figures and have decreased by 16% during the period 2013-2023, leading to 3,808 less road fatalities (2023) in comparison to 2013. Furthermore, five countries (BE, LT, LU, PL, SI) have reached reduction of more than 30% for the period 2013-2023. Since 2013, Poland has recorded the best road fatalities reduction progress among all EU countries. 

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Traffic Law Enforcement (TLE) Thematic Report which can be defined as the entire penal procedure designed to persuade road users to obey traffic laws and regulations through threat of detection of violation and the imposition of a penalty. This Thematic Report describes the working mechanisms of TLE in Europe, as well as how effective are for road safety the enforcement of speeding, red light running, drug-impaired driving, drink-driving, mobile phone use and seat belt use. Moreover, enforcement support measures such as legislation, sanction types, data-driven enforcement operations and public communication are suggested.  

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) road crash data for 2022, come off the road and at angle collisions are the most common crash types outside built-up areas. Moreover, pedestrian crashes, at angle collisions, side impact and rear end collisions are the most common crash types inside built-up areas. However, crash severity is almost 9 times higher outside built-up areas at pedestrian crashes. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) road crashes data for 2022 in Greece, car occupants and motorcyclists account for more than half of fatalities and road crashes (69% and 78% respectively). Most car occupant fatalities occur outside built-up areas, while most motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities occur inside built-up areas. In addition, crash severity is higher outside built-up areas for all transport modes. 

According to the latest Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data for 2022, the majority of road crashes and fatalities occurred during daylight with clear sky, both inside and outside built-up areas. Furthermore, 20% of road fatalities occurred during night with good street lighting. However, crash severity is increased at night with no street lighting and during raining weather conditions. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, among the 654 persons killed in Greece in 2022: 342 were outside built-up areas and 312 were inside built-up areas. Half of road fatalities occurred outside built-up areas on national roads, despite the significant amount of vehicle kilometers driven. Furthermore, more than 80% of road crashes and almost half of fatalities occurred inside built-up areas. However, crash severity is 5 times higher outside built-up areas in total. 

According to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, 654 persons were killed in Greece in 2022: 464 drivers, 78 passengers and 112 pedestrians. In 2022, male drivers accounted for 66% of all road fatalities in Greece, while male drivers aged 15-24 years old accounted for 16% of male driver fatalities. The highest fatality severity rate is observed among elderly people over 65 years old. 

According to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, 654 persons were killed in Greece in 2022: 464 drivers, 78 passengers and 112 pedestrians.  Since 2021, there is a slight increase in pedestrian fatalities, from 15% to 17% of total road fatalities. Furthermore, older pedestrians account for 61% of pedestrian fatalities, while drivers account for 81% of all road crashes. 

The E-Scooter Riders Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report provides an in-depth examination of road safety issues associated with e-scooter , including an extensive analysis of self-declared unsafe behaviours in traffic, the utilization frequency of e-scooters, and the incidence of involvement in road crashes among e-scooter riders. Moreover, the Report investigates determinants that may elevate the risk of crash involvement for e-scooter riders, offering a detailed perspective on the complexities of e-scooter road safety.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Pedestrians Thematic Report which refers to the safety of vulnerable road users that suffer the most severe consequences in collisions with other road users. This Thematic Report describes how pedestrians participate in traffic, as well as pedestrians in relation to road safety hazards. Furthermore, countermeasures about land use planning, road design, visibility, vehicle design of crash opponents, education, training and enforcement are suggested.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Urban Areas Facts and Figures Report which refers to public roads inside urban boundary signs. According to this Report, the number of fatalities on urban roads decreased by 22%, which is similar to the 21% decrease on other roads (rural roads and motorways). Furthermore, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, mopeds, motorcycles) make up 68% of fatalities on urban roads, while pedestrians are involved in 33% of all fatalities.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Rural Areas Facts and Figures Report which refers to public roads outside urban boundary signs, excluding motorways. In 2022, 53% of all road fatalities in the EU27 occurred on rural roads. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of fatalities on rural roads decreased by 24%, compared to 18% decrease on urban roads and motorways. Remarkable is that car occupants make up more than half (56%) of all fatalities on rural roads.  

The Subjective Safety & Risk Perception Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report describes the perceived levels of safety when using different transport modes and the assessment of various risk factors in traffic (e.g. alcohol, speed, fatigue) regarding their contribution to crashes. Furthermore, it includes comparisons amongst the participating countries, as well as results in relation to age and gender.  

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Factors Influencing Bus Lane Violations in Athens” was recently presented by Ilias Amerikanos. For this purpose, data collected from on-site measurements using visual observation on the roads of Athens were analyzed. The measurements were conducted in the year 2021 and 2023. The analyses revealed that the critical factors influencing bus lane violations include the number of lanes, the length of the road, the type of vehicles, the time of day, and the direction in which the vehicles are traveling.  

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “The effect of fatigue on driver behavior in rural environment using driver simulator” was recently presented by Georgios Tziouvaras. To achieve this objective, a driving simulator experiment was carried out and data from 35 participants were collected. Linear and binomial logistic regression models were developed. Results indicated that fatigue driving increases the average speed and reaction time of drivers, reduces their distance from the vehicle ahead and increases crash probability. It was also revealed that under conditions of high traffic load, lower average driver speeds, reduced reaction times and increased crash probability were observed.    

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Correlation between fatigue and driver behavior in urban and highway environments using simulator” was recently presented by Ioannis Paschalidis. To achieve this goal, an experimental procedure was conducted using the NTUA driving simulator, which collected driving data from 35 participants. In addition, a questionnaire survey was used to determine the participants’ personal characteristics. Results indicate that driving while fatigued increases drivers’ average speed and reaction time, decreases headways and acceleration. Furthermore, milder symptoms of fatigue while driving are linked to shorter headways , compared to more severe symptoms, while also inducing an increase in acceleration.  

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Spatial analysis of road crashes in the municipalities of Greece” was recently presented by Dimitris Andreikos. To achieve this, population, social, economic and transportation data were collected, and its influence on the number of road fatalities were examined. The application and evaluation of the models showed that the most important factors that influence the number of road fatalities are the possession of private vehicles and the Gross Domestic Product. Private vehicle possession correlates positively with the number of road fatalities, as the increase in vehicles leads to an increased exposure to danger, while GDP correlates negatively, as its increase is linked to better life quality and improved road safety measures.  

A NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Impact factors of Greek drivers self-reported traffic violations” was recently presented by Alexandros Kitsios. To fulfill this objective, six Binary Logistic Regression models and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) were developed using data from the second edition of the E-Survey of Road users’ Attitudes (ESRA). The covariance between the dependent variables of driving with alcohol consumption above the legal limit, driving on a highway, but also inside and outside a residential area at a speed above the legal limit, and using a mobile phone without a headset and to access social networks while driving, is positive and statistically significant revealing that drivers who engage, more frequently, in one of these risky behaviors are more likely to also engage in any of the others in combination.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Junctions Facts and Figures Report which refers to road fatalities at junctions, which are locations where two or more roads meet and traffic can change between different routes, directions, or sometimes modes of travel. According to this report, 18% of all road fatalities in the EU27 occurred at junctions and road fatalities at junctions in the EU have decreased by 10% since 2019. Moreover, 57% of junction fatalities in the EU27 occur on urban roads. Remarkable is that vulnerable road users are being involved in more than half of all fatalities at junctions (63%).