A NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Cost-benefit analysis of reducing speed limits on Greek highways” was recently presented by Michalis Nikolaou. For this reason, participants evaluated choices based on travel time, fuel consumption, and accident risk. Three scenarios were analyzed: (I) reducing the speed limit from 130 to 120 km/h, (II) reducing it to 110 km/h, and (III) no change, using binary and multinomial logistic regression models. To assess economic viability, a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) was conducted for the period 2023-2033. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders, offering an in-depth understanding of public perception and acceptance of lower speed limits, which is crucial for developing effective and widely accepted road safety interventions in Greece.  

The Horizon Europe research project IMPROVA has recently released its 1st Newsletter, focusing on enhancing road safety by addressing the complexities of long-term consequences (LTC) caused by road traffic crashes. This newsletter announces the 2nd Knowledgebase Forum (KBF) which will focus on the advancements in the topic of Long-term con sequences: Scales, Virtual Testing and Human Body Models, which will take place in Vilnius Lithuania, on September 8 2025. Consortium members participated in a Data Protection Impact Assessment training by NTUA, gaining valuable insights. 

According to the European Commission preliminary statistics, fewer people died on European roads in 2024, a slight 3% drop compared to 2023,  which is the equivalent to 600 fewer lives lost. In 2024, around 19,800 people were killed in road crashes in the EU. Over the past five years, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy have seen only modest declines in road deaths; in contrast, Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia are making strong progress toward the 50% reduction target. Even if road fatalities decreased more significantly in 2024 than they did in 2023, the overall pace of improvement remains too slow, and most Member States are not on track to meet the EU’s goal of halving road deaths by 2030. 

Eurocities organized with great success the Impacts and Evidence Webinar: “How to move from regulation to effectiveness of speed reduction strategies” within the task force on 30 km/h and speed reduction in cities, which was held online, on 14 March 2025. As part of the activities of the Eurocities Task Force, 20 cities actively involved to organize this Webinar on impacts of city-wide 30 km/h speed limit in which 200+ cities participated. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:

•  Review of 30 km/h speed limit benefits in Europe

 

The Hellenic Association for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS Hellas) in cooperation with the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT/CERTH) and the  I-Sense Group of the Institute of Communications & Computer Systems (ICCS), organized with great success the 10th ITS Hellas Conference, which took place in Athens, on 7-8 May 2025. The theme of the Conference was “Competitiveness, Accessibility, Resilience in Transports & Logistics”, focusing on the developments in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems in Greece. The conference also included a parallel exhibition of cutting-edge technologies as developed by local initiatives, innovative actions, pilot research projects and companies active in the field.   NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:

• Evaluation of deep learning integration for improved pedestrian traffic prediction

 

Chemnitz University of Technology is organizing the HUMANIST Conference 2025 which will take place in Chemnitz, Germany on 27-29 August 2025. The focus of this event will be on innovative and intelligent mobility solutions and applications for diverse user groups. The Conference will bring together researchers, experts and stakeholders from several multidisciplinary communities that are active in the field of Human Factors in Transport. It is going to be a unique and attractive forum to present current and planned activities as well as to share ideas and experiences. Programme can be found here. 

A paper titled Using computer vision and street-level videos for pedestrian-vehicle tracking and behaviour analysis, authored by Roberto Ventura, Stella Roussou, Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Benedetto Barabino and George Yannis has been published in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Using advanced computer vision object detection and featuring extraction models, this framework integrates Kalman filtering, homography transformations, and object re-identification to achieve high accuracy. This study utilizes data from roadside video recordings from Athens, Greece. The findings show accuracy rates of 50%-70% in detecting traffic light statuses and identified a 23% discrepancy on average between manual and automated counts of illegal crossings. This paper underscores the potential of computer vision detection systems to provide reliable, real-time data that takes the road network conditions into account, ultimately contributing to safer urban traffic management and informed policy decisions. 

The European Commission together with the European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI), the US Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the World Conference on Transport Research Society organized with great success the ITF Annual Summit Research Sessions, held as part of the 2025 ITF Annual Summit, which took place in Leipzig, Germany, on 21-23 May 2025. The Research Sessions promoted exchanges between research experts and policy practitioners focused on the Summit themes. This event focused on key shocks such as natural disasters, pandemics, cyber-attacks, and geopolitical crises, which can cause operational delays, economic losses, and diminished public confidence. 

The International Transport Forum (ITF) organized with great success the ITF 2025 Summit which took place in Leipzig, Germany, on 21-23 May 2025. The theme of the event was “Transport Resilience to Global Shocks”. The ITF Annual Summit is the world’s largest gathering of transport ministers and the premier global transport policy event. Since 2008, ministers from ITF’s 69 member countries, heads of international organisations, parliamentarians, and leaders in industry and academia have met annually during the event. 

The International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA) and TÜVTÜRK organized with great success the CITA International Conference and the 24th CITA General Assembly which took place in Istanbul, on 6-8 May 2025. The theme of the Conference was “Alliances for Safer Roads and Greener Future”. This event was an opportunity to connect with key decision-makers in vehicle inspection, road safety, and sustainable mobility.  

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission announced a reinforced platform for dialogue and co-creation of actions to implement the 2021 EU Urban Mobility Framework.  The Expert Group for Urban Mobility, released 17 new Reports on mobility and road safety, reaffirming the EU’s long-term strategic goal to achieve as close to zero deaths and zero serious injuries on the EU’s roads by 2050. The goal is stronger engagement by Member States and improved dialogue with cities, regions and stakeholders on all urban mobility issues. 

The European Road Safety Charter of the European Commission, has recently published a new Article focusing on helmet use and seatbelt/child restraint systems, aiming to increase the attention to theis use. Studies suggest that when cycling, helmet use reduces the risk of serious head injury by 60% and fatal head injury by 71%, also according to the WHO, wearing a quality motorbike helmet reduces the risk of death by over six times and the risk of brain injury by up to 74%. Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death and injury by around 60% for drivers and 44% for rear-seat passengers. Correct use of a child restraint system reduces the risk of being killed or injured by around 55% to 60% compared with children who are not buckled up. 

The International Road Federation (IRF) organized with great success the CulturalRoad Launch Workshop which was held online, on 20 March 2025. This Workshop introduceed the Horizon Europe CultoralRoad project’s methodologies, tools, and stakeholder engagement approach to advance the equitable deployment of Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) services. The event also includeed breakout discussions where participants were invited to share their perspectives on challenges, societal acceptance, and expectations for CCAM deployment. 

The Institute of Transport Economics (TOI) is organising the 13th International Cycling Safety Conference (ICSC2025) which be held in Oslo, Norway, on 4–6 November 2025. The ICSC is the central meeting place for research aimed at improving cycling safety through scientific work. The annual ICSC conferences aims to disseminate relevant scientific findings to everyone interested in cycling safety and offer a first-class forum for sharing scientific results and learning from one another. This year’s theme is “Knowledge for Prevention”. Programme can be found here. 

The European Road Safety Charter of the European Commission, has recently published a Guide on how to run effective road safety awareness campaigns, highlighting their role in improving road safety, including in urban areas. The Guide provides practical advice on how to design, implement, and evaluate such campaigns to enhance road safety efforts, including examples of campaigns from cities across Europe. These initiatives aim to inform, persuade, and encourage individuals to adopt safer behaviours on the road.  

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has recently published a book edited by Aliaksei Laureshyn, Niels Agerholm and Matúš Šucha, titled “Traffic Safety Data: Sources, analysis and applications”. It examines the different data types that can be collected and used for monitoring, analysing, and improving road safety, including chapters on police records and accident modelling, healthcare system records, self-reporting of accidents, data from insurance companies, and more. This book provides a wide and up-to-date perspective on relevant traffic safety data, helping to broaden the horizons for safety experts and also to promote a more knowledge and data based approach to traffic safety management. 

The International Transport Forum (ITF) together with the World Health Organization (WHO), recently launched “The Global Road Safety Assessment Framework for Corporate Action and Reporting” to support businesses in integrating robust road safety practices into their operations and value chains and thereby contribute to the global effort to reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries. The development of this Framework was initiated in response to a call from Transport Ministers representing over 60 countries to enhance road safety practices across corporate value chains and align them with the Global Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, by incorporating key standards and guidelines. 

UNRSF at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, which was held at Morocco, Marrakesh on 18-20 February,  reaffirmed their commitment to making roads safer. This event mobilised critical funding to support life-saving road safety initiatives in over 125 low and middle income countries facing the highest road crash fatalities. In line with its mission to drive systemic changes in road safety, the UNRSF announced eight new projects, tackling key road safety challenges, from strengthening motorcycle safety laws and sustainable financing to improving enforcement and protecting vulnerable road users. 

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published its new Safe System Tool, with the active contribution of NTUA, which offers a user-friendly interface to navigate through the International Transport Forum’s framework for implementing a Safe System. The Tool helps road safety stakeholders to evaluate how their strategies, projects or plans contribute to a Safe System, since it visualises opportunities for improvement and helps to identify effective interventions to save lives. 

Armira Kontaxi has successfully defended her PhD dissertation titled: The Driver Behavior Telematics Feedback Mechanism, under the supervision of NTUA Prof. George Yannis. Data from a 21-month naturalistic driving experiment involving 230 drivers across six feedback phases generated a robust dataset of 106,776 trips, covering 1.3 million kilometers. Advanced statistical and machine learning models, including Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Models (GLMMs), Structural Equation Models (SEMs), and Survival Analysis methods (e.g., Weibull AFT, Cox-PH with frailty, and Random Survival Forests), were utilized to analyze behavioral metrics such as speeding, mobile phone use, harsh braking, and accelerations which demonstrated substantial impacts on reducing risky behaviors. Key findings suggest that the overall impact of feedback significantly improved driving behavior and safety, with notable variations across user groups and driving contexts. Urban environments demonstrated the most substantial reductions in mobile phone use and harsh events, likely driven by the heightened complexity and demands of navigating urban settings. These findings highlight the need for continuous and adaptive engagement strategies, incorporating diverse features tailored to the specific needs of different user groups and driving contexts, to ensure long-term effectiveness and sustained safety improvements.     

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission released the Statistical Pocketbook 2024 “EU Transport in figures”. In this Statistical Pocketbook, key road safety Tables are contained, together with several other Tables on transport statistics, providing a complete picture of current trends in transport in Europe. Data on road fatalities for the EU Member States and associate countries allow for time series comparisons and country rankings.  

The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety recently launched their mobility snapshot tool, an interactive map which shows the realities of how unsafe the streets are as well as the solutions that can make the communities more livable and sustainable, enabling access to education and work. Data are collected at specific intersections in local communities from 118 Mobility Snapshots in 44 countries at intersections across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North and South America. Key findings show that more than 156,000 pedestrians use these 118 intersections during peak hour, yet 102 of them lacked traffic calming measures or a speed limit of 30 km/h or lower.  

The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety recently published a White Paper based on global best practices, in consultation with Alliance member NGOs, ensuring safe motorcycle helmets through appropriate laws, enforcement, and promotion. Through this White Paper, the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety and its over 395 member NGOs from more than 100 countries, will assist Governments achieve the reduction of road fatalities and injuries needed to accomplish the vision of having zero road deaths and injuries by 2030.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of  NTUA,  SWOV and KFV  launched a safe mobility promotion activity focusing on vulnerable road users, providing in-depth analysis of road safety for cyclists, pedestrians, powered two-wheelers, and users of personal mobility devices. According to the new Reports from the European Road Safety Observatory, one key finding shows that infrastructure improvements, such as segregated bike lanes, significantly reduce the risk of serious accidents for cyclists. As for pedestrians, older individuals are disproportionately represented in fatality statistics. Powered Two-Wheelers face a significantly higher risk of dying on European roads compared to other motor vehicle users. The PMD report reveals a sharp rise in incidents involving e-scooters, particularly in cities and highlights the need to address aspects relating to the vehicle, infrastructure and rider behaviour to address this emerging challenge.     

The Horizon Europe research project metaCCAZE has recently released a new Blog Post authored by Evi Koliou on AI and Smart Cities. As stated, AI-driven solutions can transform urban environments, since smart traffic control systems are no longer a futuristic concept but a present reality. These AI-driven systems optimise traffic flow, reduce congestion, and cut down emissions. By leveraging connected vehicle data and digital twins—technology that simulates real-world scenarios—we can develop road safety strategies that save lives. 

EU Road Safety Cluster organized with great success the First EU Road Safety Cluster Joint Webinar which took take place online, on 25 February 2025. The aim of this webinar was to enhance road safety for users of active and shared mobility, drivers and vulnerable road users using AI, transport modeling, and big data, through the newly-formed EU Road Safety Cluster, a group of EU-funded projects, AI4CCAM, EVENTS, FRODDO, HEIDI, Phoebe, and SOTERIA. The participants had the opportunity to audience an initial glimpse into the innovative solutions addressed by the cluster’s projects through short spotlight presentations, followed by a brief discussion on current urban road safety challenges. 

FACTUAL together with iRAP & POLIS network  organized with great success the PHOEBE – JULIA webinar which took place online, on 18 February 2025. The aim of this webinar was to highlight different assessment methods to enhance bicycle safety through the perspective of the two EU-funded projects of PHOEBE and JULIA. Aspects of both projects and their pilot implementations and tests in the two Spanish cities of Valencia and Barcelona were discussed. These presentations were put into a wider context related to the current road safety challenges in Europe. 

Comune di Bologna has recently published a Report on the first year of implementing the 30 km/h speed limit in the city, which has the main objective of the improvement of road safety and the increase of sustainable mobility. This Report showed that for the first time since 1991, no pedestrians were killed, and road deaths were reduced by 50%. Also, crashes were reduced by 13% and urban traffic pollution by 30%. Finally, the report indicated that there has been a significant increase in bicycle flows by 10%, as well as the use of car and bike sharing services.    

Fruitful discussions with NTUA Professor George Yannis, Deputy Mayor for Ecological Transition, Ana Lisa Boni and Deputy Mayor for Sports, Luca Bellinato took recently place, demonstrating the need to intensify efforts for lower speeds and safer roads everywhere and for all.

A paper titled Understanding the effects of underreporting on injury severity estimation of single-vehicle motorcycle crashes: A hybrid approach incorporating majority class oversampling and random parameters with heterogeneity-in-means authored by Nawaf Alnawmasi, Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Athanasios Theofilatos and Yasir Ali  has been published in Analytic Methods in Accident Research. This study aims to provide an empirical assessment of the impact of underreporting issue using a hybrid approach in estimating injury severity for single-vehicle motorcycle crashes. Key results suggest that crashes occurring during slowing down or stopping are associated with lower injury severity, whereas negotiating a right turn increases the probability of severe injuries. Interestingly, crashes that occur on dry pavements are associated with higher injury severity when compared to wet pavements, likely due to rider behavior adjustments in adverse weather conditions to compensate for the risk. 

The European Union has recently adopted the new Directive to strengthen cross-border enforcement of road traffic rules. The newly adopted rules tackle several road safety issues by enhancing collaboration among Member States, streamlining offender identification and facilitating fine enforcement. Cooperation between national Authorities will not only focus on the most common and serious offenses like speeding, drunk and drugged driving, but also on several other hazardous behaviours.