Basic characteristics of road fatalities in Greece for the period 2012-2021 are summarised in a comprehensive infographic prepared by the NTUA Road Safety Observatory (data source: ELSTAT). According to these time series data, a spectacular decrease in road fatalities for pedestrians (-54%), inside(-56%) and outside built-up areas (-53%) was observed during the last decade. On the contrary, there was a large increase in the number of fatalities during daylight (+67%) and that needs to be considered.  

A paper titled “The impact of cognition-affecting neurological diseases on reaction time and driving speed deviation” authored by Athina Diamanti, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis, has been published in Open Transportation Journal. Analysis of cognitive impairments based on GDS questions showed that frequent ‘feelings of boredom’ correlated with a 7% increase in reaction time and a 8% increase in the standard deviation of driving speed. Conversely, ‘feelings of worthlessness’ reduced the standard deviation of driving speed by 4.5%. Drivers with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases showed higher reaction times, while drivers with depression and the control group showed lower reaction times. Drivers with Parkinson’s disease showed statistically fewer deviations of average speed. This research demonstrated that cognitively impaired individuals have larger reaction times and more erratic driving speeds.  

The European Commision welcomes the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on a proposal made by the Commission in 2021 on the revision of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive.  A smarter and interoperable transport system allows the more effective management of traffic and mobility across transport modes, enabling users to better combine the most sustainable modes of transport.  

According to data of the Hellenic Statistical Authority, 38 Greek cities recorded zero road fatalities inside build-up areas (excluding motorways) for at least one calendar year during the decade 2012-2021. Some cities recorded zero fatalities multiple times, such as the Municipality of Vyronas (9 years) and the Municipality of Kalamaria (7 years). The interactive map shows the road fatalities inside build-up areas (excluding motorways) of cities with population above 50,000 inhabitants, which account for 27% of road fatalities in Greece. 

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) published the 17th edition of PIN Annual Report, with the active contribution of NTUA, presented at the 2023 ETSC Road Safety Performance Index Award event which took place with great success on 20 June 2023 in Brussels. The EU27 collectively reduced the number of road deaths by 22% over the period 2012-2022. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has awarded its 2023 Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) Award to Poland for the first time, because the country cut road deaths by 47% between 2012 and 2022, a rate only bettered by Lithuania, last year’s winner.  

The World Road Association – PIARC implemented an ambitious PIARC Knowledge Exchange project, aiming at sharing knowledge about road safety, with the active contribution of NTUA and AIT, especially within Low and Middle Income Countries with limited resources but also in more developed economies with different needs and priorities. The theme of this month refers to Data, as presented by the PIARC Technical Committee 2.4 “Road Network Operation/ ITS” Secretary Kaouther Machta. Throughout the year, PIARC will focus on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.   

The International Cooperation on Theories and Concepts in Traffic safety (ICTCT) organised with great success the 34th Conference which took place in Winneba, Ghana, on 8-9 June 2023 under the theme Enhancing traffic safety: prospects and challenges for Safe System approach on African continent. The conference was organized in close co-operation with the University of Education, Winneba.    

The new EU road fatalities interactive infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2021, allows for performance comparisons for different types of road crashes. It is demonstrated that disaggregate data can reveal hidden road safety problems, allowing national Authorities to focus on targeted road safety countermeasures.  

The new Greek Regions interactive road fatalities Infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on ELSTAT data for 2021, allows for performance comparisons for different types of road crashes. It is demonstrated that disaggregate data can reveal hidden road safety issues, allowing national and local Authorities to focus on targeted road safety countermeasures.