The European Commission is organising the EU Road Safety Conference which will be held in Dublin, Ireland, on 16 April 2024. The Conference provides an opportunity to engage with EU Member State Authorities, Experts and all Stakeholders across the road safety community. In addition, it will facilitate exchanging views and experiences on the efforts to reach Vision Zero. 
Registrer here.
The Saudi Traffic Safety Society organized under the patronage of His Royal Highness Governor of the Eastern Region the sixth International Traffic Safety Conference, which took place with great success in Dammam, Saudi Arabia on 4-6 December 2023. The theme of the conference was “Artificial intelligence and big data for transportation and traffic safety”. Experts, researchers, academics from internationally renowned research centers, institutions and international scientific organizations took part in this conference. 
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The European Commission adopted a series of proposals designed to improve the experience of passengers and travellers by strengthening their rights. These proposals focuse on stronger passenger rights, protection of package travellers, better multimodal travel information services and the creation of a common European mobility data space. The new rules will also provide for safer and smoother journeys, especially those involving different travel services or transport modes, ensuring that passengers have access to direct support, and enhanced real-time information, for example on delays and cancellations.
The Road Traffic Safety Agency (RTSA) of the republic of Serbia in cooperation with NTUA, several Serbian and international road safety Governmental, Academic and other organizations are organizing the 19th International conference Road Safety in Local Communities (RSCL 2024) in Zlatibor, Serbia, on 17-20 April 2024. The Conference is organized within second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030), second national strategy for road safety (2023-2030) and after significant changes in road safety regulations. Researchers can submit their papers until 1 December 2023. 
The NTUA Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering organised with great success a Scientific Workshop titled “Telematics boosting mobility behaviour” which took place at the NTUA Campus in Athens on November 22nd, 2023. The rapid spread of innovative technologies in the field of telematics creates new opportunities to monitor, evaluate and improve driver behaviour through feedback tools, providing incentives to drivers for safer and greener behaviour, with spectacular results. During this workshop, the new interactive SafeRoadsMap tool for safe and green travelling in Greece was released. 
Workshop Presentations:
Telematics and mobility behaviour – nrso OSeven application and improvement of mobility behaviour – SmartMaps Collection and processing of smart map data – SmartMaps Development of infrastructure, driving behaviour and fuel consumption maps – SmartMaps Development of algorithms for multiparametric analysis of driving behaviour and road segment risk– SmartMaps Fleet, traffic and mobility management in interconnected environments – Dit4tram Driver-vehicle-environment interaction and comparison by transport mode – iDreams Safety assessment of Athens Great Walk segments with telematics data – PHOEBE Artificial intelligence and safe mobility – Ivory Driver behaviour optimisation for safe, green and energy efficient mobility – OptiMo
The European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI) celebrated the 20 Years of Achievements in Sustainable and Multimodal Mobility Research, in conjunction with the Annual Plenary Meetings of Members and of Thematic Groups, which took place with great success in Brussels, on 16 November 2023. Key achievements were highlighted and discussions focussed on how can research drive future green and inclusive mobility and the transformative impact of research on transport policy. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
The SWOV – Dutch Road Safety Research Institute organised with great success the 11th International Cycling Safety Conference (ICSC2023) which took place in Hague, on 15–17 November 2023, bringing the conference back to the Netherlands after 10 years. The ICSC is a forum for researchers and experts in the field of cycling safety to exchange their knowledge and bring up new research topics and safety solutions. This year’s conference focused on safer cycling for a better future. NTUA actively contributed with the following paper:
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 aim of the Conference is 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. The deadline for abstract submission is February 1st, 2024.
The Network of Regional Road Safety Observatories (RSO), namely the European (ERSO), Ibero American (OISEVI), African (ARSO), Asia and Pacific (APRSO), the Easter Parnership (EaPRSO) and Arab (AIRSO), organised with great success an informal meeting which was held in Paris and online, on 9 November 2023. The main topic discussed was the update on programme of Work and activities of Regional Road Safety Observatories. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The International Road Traffic Safety Analysis and Data (IRTAD) Group and of the International Transport Forum (ITF) organised with great success the 36th Meeting which was held in Paris and online, on 8-9 November 2023. In this conference, the latest international road safety developments were discussed. 45 road safety experts enriched the discussion aimed to help improve road safety across the globe. Particular emphasis was given to new mobility and the evaluation of road safety measures. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
Bar-Ilan University is organising the 8th International Conference on Traffic and Transport Psychology (ICTTP), which will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 19-22 August 2024. This conference is the 1st ICTTP conference in the middle East and is oriented towards the next generation of traffic psychology researchers. The aim of this conference is to provide a platform for communication between researchers, young and established, and between researchers and practitioners.
EPFL is organising an one-week program on 11-15 February 2024 that undertakes an in-depth study of discrete choice models and their applications. It provides participants with the practical tools necessary for applying new discrete choice techniques. The course will cover various topics such as fundamental methodology, data collection, model design and estimation issues, forecasting techniques, examples and case studies. Researchers can apply for a scholarship until 8 December 2023.
European Commission and the European Parliament launched with great success the EU Road Safety Exchange project for a second three-year phase with the active support of ETSC and NTUA. The project connects road safety experts from various European countries to tackle specific road safety challenges through twinning activities. A high-level event in Brussels marked the official launch of the project on 18 October 2023. The project and its launch event covered various themes, including the safety of infrastructure, effective enforcement, the protection of vulnerable road users and driver training.
The European Commission hosted with great success the annual Excellence in Road Safety Awards on 19 October 2023 in Brussels, recognising the contributions of the European Road Safety Charter’s community of members towards the common goal of improved road safety across Europe. The award categories for 2023 included best use of data promoting road safety, best project promoting fitness to drive and supporting road safety in the e-commerce sector and best road safety project for road users with reduced mobility. Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) was chosen by the audience at the awards ceremony to receive the Jacques Barrot Award.
The International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS) is organising the 9th GIFTS Symposium, which will be held as a hybrid event (in Tokyo and online), on 1 December 2023. In this 9th forum, experts in transportation and safety as well as specialists from international organizations, have the opportunity to exchange opinions and discuss about the ideal traffic culture and sustainable society from the perspective of the “positive benefits”.
SAFER Vehicle and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) are co-organising the 9th International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention (DDI2024), which will be held in Michigan, on 22-24 October 2024. DDI2024 is the primary international event on this topic, attracting delegates from more than 20 countries. It is designed to bring participants – from academia, industry and government – up-to-date on the developments and trends in the field of inattention and distraction in driving. Researchers can submit their abstracts until 3 March 2024.
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) will organise the 103rd Annual Meeting, which will be held on 7-11 January 2024 in Washington DC. The meeting program will cover all transportation modes, with sessions and workshops addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. More than 600 workshops and sessions will be presented.
The World Road Association (PIARC) organised with great success the XXVIIth World Road Congress, which was held on 2-6 October 2023, in Prague. The theme of the congress was “Together on the road again” and provided a unique opportunity to discuss in depth all subjects related to road infrastructures and road transport, with safety being one of the Congress key topics. The program included ministerial sessions, 60 technical sessions covering all key aspects and topics of road infrastructure, valuable poster sessions, various specialised workshops and foresight sessions. A special workshop on “Boosting Sustainable Road Safety Solutions in LMICs” was also foreseen. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
Development and Pilot Testing of a European Methodology for Network Wide Road Safety Assessment Road Safety Audit of Ellinikon Urban Regeneration Project Traffic Modelling a Case Study for the Port of Chios Island AI for Safer Road Mobility Key Road Safety Management Practices
The National Safer Roads Partnerships Conference took place with great success in Manchester on 27-28 September 2023. 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:
The “Energy Save” Conference, organised with great success by Be best company, took place on 25 September 2023 at SNFCC in Athens. The theme of the conference was “How to reduce the energy footprint in traffic” by promoting electromobility, micromobility and road safety. NTUA Professor George Yannis actively contributed with the following key-note presentation:
The Horizon 2020 research project SHOW project (SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption) organised with great success the 4th Pan-European Workshop, titled “Shaping Seamless AV Integration in Public Transport”, which was held in Düsseldorf, on 12 October 2023. The workshop provided a dynamic exploration of cutting-edge advancements in automated shared mobility, along with a field trip to nearby Monheim am Rhein to experience the real-life AV service fully integrated into public transport. The workshop combines concise presentations by industry leaders, experts, and project participants, followed by interactive panel discussions that delve deep into the heart of each topic.
The World Road Association – PIARC organised with great success two webinars which were held online on 5 and 15 September 2023, with the active support of NTUA. The topics of the Webinars were: Infrastructure, Tunnels, Speed, Data and Management, Behaviour, VRUs, Vehicles. The webinars provided solutions and recommendations to build road safety expertise in all countries with focus on Low and Middle Income Countries, in order to adopt effectively the Safe System Approach and reduce fatal and serious crashes on road network. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
The 8th International HUMANIST Conference took place with great success on 21-22 September 2023 in Berlin. The theme of the conference is “Accelerating the transformation towards sustainable mobility by human-centred design“. The Conference brοught together researchers, experts and stakeholders from several multidisciplinary communities that are active in the field of Human Factors in Transport. It was a unique and attractive forum to present current and planned activities as well as to share ideas and experiences.
The Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT/CERTH) and the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers (HITE) co-organized the 11th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR 2023), which was held on 20-22 September 2023 in Heraklion, Greece. The spotlight theme of the 2023 Congress was “Clean and Accessible to All Multimodal Transport“. Special focus was given to innovative and sustainable traffic safety concepts in Greece and worldwide. NTUA contributed actively with the following 16 scientific papers and presentations:
Spatial analysis of telematics surrogate safety measures across road environments (Young Researcher Best Road Safety Paper Award) Road Safety Key Performance Indicators in Greece A novel methodology for crash hotspot identification and network-wide safety ranking Implementing traffic simulation for road safety assessment: A systematic literature review Evaluation of safety interventions on risky driving behavior using data from a novel naturalistic driving experiment Identification of safe driving behavior using an ensemble of machine learning algorithms and data from the i-DREAMS experiment How do task complexity and coping capacity influence risk? Findings from a novel naturalistic driving experiment in Greece Modelling the inter-relationship among task complexity, coping capacity and crash risk Impact Assessment of a novel Human-Machine Interface Prototype: A descriptive analysis from the HADRIAN project Impacts of automated driving vehicles on bus depot operation using naturalistic data Modelling the behaviour of automated vehicles when interacting with pedestrians in jaywalking Risk analysis of Western Greece road network using the Highway Safety Manual Can we predict safe driving for the elderly through a self-assessment of driving behaviour? Analysis of speeding characteristics in Greece Analysis of distraction characteristics due to mobile phone use in Greece Cost Benefit Analysis of reducing speed limits at the Greek interurban road network
The International Alcohol Interlock Symposium, organised by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), took place with great success on 17-19 September 2023, in Oslo, Norway under the theme “Technology saving lives”. Since 2000, the Alcohol Interlock Symposium global forum has hosted leading experts to discuss ongoing research and development regarding alcohol and drug impaired driving, interlock programs, and road traffic safety. This year, international policy makers, criminal justice and health professionals, licensing authorities, researches, government officials, innovators, and industry representatives were part of a three day exploration of new ideas and innovative technological developments in the expanding field of alcohol interlocks.
The 11th Symposium of European Association for Research in Transportation (hEART2023) took place with great success in Zurich, on 6-8 September 2023. The Symposium offered an opportunity for in depth discussion in all scientific methods and analyses in transport. The topics of this year’s conference were: mobility, transport, logistics.
University of Cantabria organised the 25th Euro Working Group on Transportation Conference (EWGT 2023) which was held with great success on 6-8 September 2023 in Santander, Spain. There were 4 different topics discussed, including Transport Modeling and Control, Planning and Operation, Transport Economics and Policy and Innovative and Sustainable Solutions. This year the 25th EWGT, wanted to reward the excellent quality of all the papers received, therefore the organization had established the following 3 categories of prizes. 1. EWGT2023 Award for the best paper of the congress, 2. EWGT2023 Award to the best PhD poster, 3. Mention and diploma for the best papers in each of the congress topics.
The Università degli Studi di Brescia and the Friendly City Study Center (CeSCAΜ) co-organised the LWC International Conference, which took place with great success on 6-8 September 2023 in Brescia. The LWC International Conference traditionally deals with the topics of urban mobility and quality of life in urban areas, with a specific focus on vulnerable road users. Τhis year’s LWC Conference focused on defining the new challenges for sustainable urban mobility.
The European Commission and the An Roinn Iompair (ARI) together with the European Transport Research Platforms ACARE, ALICE, CEDR, ECTP, ERRAC, ERTRAC, ETRA and Waterborne will organise the Transport Research Arena Conference (TRA2024) which will take place in Dublin, Ireland, on 15-18 April 2024. The pillars of the Conference will be the safe & inclusive transport, the sustainable mobility of people and goods, the efficient & resilient systems and the collaborative digitalisation regarding the European Transport Research and Innovation and the cooperation of Europe with other continents.
ETSC, Fundación MAPFRE and the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge (VSV) organised the 2023 edition of the European Traffic Education Seminar, which was held as an online event, on 12 September 2023. The aims of the seminar were to equip young road users to become safe road users, given the appropriate education. The seminar consisted of three distinct parts, focused on sustainable mobility with traffic safety, safe (pre-)driver and passenger behaviour and e-scooter education.
A paper titled “Star rating of driver’s behavior as a tool to prevent risky behavior” authored by Milan Tešić, Suzana Miladić-Tešić, Katerina Folla, George Yannis and Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios has been published in Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. Results were analysed regarding the following aspects: 1) star rating of driver’s behavior and 2) defining the stages of the periodic factors monitoring for each Police Administration Unit (PAU) examined. It was revelated that using a mobile phone while driving, not using child restraints system, alcohol drunk driving during the night and seat belt use at rear seats of passenger vehicles were identified as the most significant factors associated with risky driving behaviors. 
The 2023 International Research Council on the Biomechanics of Injury Europe Conference took part with great success in Cambridge, UK, on 13-15 September 2023. 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 12th Symposium of European Association for Research in Transportation (hEART2024) will take place in Espoo, on 18-20 June 2024. The Symposium will offer an opportunity for in depth discussion in all scientific methods and analyses in transport. Further details about the paper submissions, registration, and conference program will be provided in the coming months.
NTUA Professor George Yannis contributed actively at the Scientific Workshop on: “Should we promote a 30 km/hr speed limit in cities?” organised by the Chair of Transportation Systems Engineering of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) which was held in Munich on July 6th, 2023. The Workshop hosted vivid discussions from Key – Experts on the different dimensions and perspectives of city-wide 30 km/h speed limit 
. Professor George Yannis contributed two key-note presentations:
ITS America, ERTICO and ITS Asia-Pasific are co-organising the 31th ITS World Congress which will be held in Atlanta, on 21-25 September 2025. ITS World Congress is the forum to make meaningful connections, experience inventive conference program presented by industry experts, and see cutting-edge technology in the Exhibit Hall. ITS World Congress allows the smart mobility community to come together to explore the deployment of intelligent transportation technologies that saves lives, improves mobility, promotes sustainability, and increases efficiency and productivity.
ERTICO and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) are co-organising the 30th ITS World Congress which will be held in Dubai, on 16-20 September 2024, under the theme: “Mobility Driven by ITS”. ITS World Congress is the forum to make meaningful connections, experience inventive conference program presented by industry experts, and see cutting-edge technology in the Exhibit Hall. ITS World Congress allows the smart mobility community to come together to explore the deployment of intelligent transportation technologies that saves lives, improves mobility, promotes sustainability, and increases efficiency and productivity.
The Hellenic Association for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS Hellas) in co-operation with the University of Patras, Department of Civil Engineering and TSS-Transport Simulation Systems: Aimsun & Aimsun Online, organised the International Conference ITS2023, which took place with great success in Patras on 2-3 November 2023. This Conference was held under the theme “Intelligent Systems and Consciousness Society” to ensure comfortable, fast, and safe movement of people and goods in smart cities and communities. NTUA actively contributed with the following paper:
The Vision Zero Conference organised by the Government Offices of Sweden, Trafikverket (Swedish Transport Administration) and Vinnova (the Swedish Innovation Agency), took place in Stockholm on 26-27 June 2023. High-level representatives of road road safety Authorities and Stakeholders discussed on Vision Zero, Agenda 2030, Private sector role and engagement, Knowledge transfer and capacity building, Safe modal shift including safety for powered two-wheelers and New technologies and innovations. The conference also provided an opportunity to link road safety to other global sustainability challenges.
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 34th International Cooperation on Theories and Concepts in Traffic safety Conference (ICTCT) took place with great success 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 European Platform of Transport Sciences (EPTS) organised the 21st European Transport Congress under the theme “The strengthening the resilience of smart cities”, which took place with great success in Prague, on 25-26 May 2023. This Conference was special, as it was a joint event with the Smart Cities Symposium and researchers with different background were encouraged to participate and share their findings.
NTUA Professor George Yannis has contributed actively at the ITF 2023 Summit held in Leipzig, Germany, on 24-26 May 2023, on key discussions on the design of safe and equitable future transport systems for all. In his presentation on Social Cost–Benefit Analysis of Key Urban Mobility Policies in Athens demonstrated the high usefulness of the social Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) for the promotion of key urban mobility and safety policies, including comprehensive appraisal of externalities (impact on safety, environment, congestion, etc.). The policies investigated concerned City-wide Speed Limit 30km/h, Congestion Charging Schemes, Ridesharing Services and Telematics Insurance Schemes, which were proved highly beneficial for the society welfare.
NTUA Professor George Yannis has contributed actively at the “Vision Zero for the Balkans” Road Safety Conference organized by IRF in Belgrade, Serbia, on 15 May 2023, with the presentation titled “Network Wide Road Safety Assessments to diagnose road safety risk”. Some of the key issues of this conference are to promote the uptake of “Vision Zero” policies and make a compelling case for safety investment, focus on risk factors and road deficiencies that lead to injuries among vulnerable road users and advance regional cooperation. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
NTUA within the framework of the Seventh UN Global Road Safety Week organised with great success a Scientific Workshop titled “Road Safety Research Challenges” which was held in Athens (and online) on May 19th, 2023. The objective of this Workshop was to highlight through an intensive flow of presentations the main findings and challenges of key road safety research projects carried out within the NTUA Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering. 
Workshop presentations:
NTUA Road Safety Observatory – nrso National Road Safety Strategy – Greece 2030 – nrss Shared Automation Operating Models for Worldwide Adoption – Show Holistic Approach for Driver Role Integration into Automation – Hadrian Driver needs and behaviour in automated traffic – Drive2theFuture Driver-vehicle-environment interactions and safety tolerance zone – i-Dreams Smart city mapping for safer and eco driver behaviour – SmartMaps Smartphone applications for driver safety behaviour support – BeSmart Predictive Approaches for Safer Urban Environments – Phoebe AI for Vision Zero in Road Safety – Ivory E-Survey of Road users’ Attitudes – ESRA3 Support to the European Road Safety Observatory – ERSOnext Support of technical activities for the development and collection of Road Safety KPIs – Trendline National Access Point Coordination Organisation for Europe – Napcore A Methodology for Network-wide Road Assessment – NetSafety Modelling road infrastructure safety – i-SafeModels Global Road Safety Knowledge Exchange – Piarc Micromobility Safety: Back to the Future – Mimob Unsafe traffic events – Ute Promoting 30km/h speed limit in all Cities – 30 Marathons in 30 months
A paper titled “Comparing Machine Learning Techniques for Predictions of Motorway Segment Crash Risk Level” authored by Dimitris Nikolaou, Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Anastasios Dragomanovits, Julia Roussou and George Yannis has been published in Safety. The techniques considered were Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and K-Nearest Neighbours. Among the five techniques, the Random Forest model achieved the best classification performance (overall accuracy: 89.3%). The findings of this study are particularly useful as the Random Forest model could be used as a highly promising proactive road safety tool for identifying potentially hazardous motorway segments.
A paper titled “From conflicts to crashes: Simulating macroscopic connected and automated driving vehicle safety” authored by Maria Oikonomou, Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Amna Chaudhry, Pete Thomas and George Yannis, has been published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. Analysis of the outputs along with traffic data and network geometry characteristics were conducted. The results indicated that in higher Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) market penetration rates (MPRs), crash rates will be significantly lower as well as when the following-vehicle in the occurred conflict is a 2nd generation CAV.
The Horizon 2020 project i-DREAMS (smart Driver Environment Assesment and Monitoring System) organised its Final Event which was held in Brussels, on 26 April 2023. In this i-DREAMS Workshop the main accomplishments of the project for the role of human factors in transport safety were discussed. Results indicated that the integrated treatment of task complexity, coping capacity and risk can improve behavior and safety of all travellers and all transport modes, through unobtrusive and seamless behaviour monitoring.
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
The 35th International Cooperation on Theories and Concepts in Traffic safety Conference (ICTCT) will be held in Catania, Italy, on 26-27 October 2023 under the theme “Challenges and actual opportunities offered by new technologies to improve traffic safety”. The conference is organized in close co-operation with the University of Catania, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Submission deadline is 30 April.
The Horizon 2020 project MEDIATOR organised its Final Event which was held in Hague, on 13 April 2023. The MEDIATOR Workshop combined speeches, discussion with perspectives from industry and policy and discussion of main scientific contribution and next steps.
The Eighth Global Meeting of Non-Governmental Organizations Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims took place in El Salvador and online on 6-10 March 2023, co-hosted by the Vice-Ministry of Transport of El Salvador and WHO. It was a hybrid event, enabling wider participation of NGOs and other stakeholders. The Global Meeting featured capacity building opportunities, inspiration from well-known safe mobility and sustainability experts, a high-level symposium with key influencers from government, multilateral organizations, private sector, and academia, as well as extensive networking opportunities.
A paper titled “Analysis of mobile phone use engagement during naturalistic driving through explainable imbalanced machine learning” authored by Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Armira Kontaxi and George Yannis has been published in Accident Analysis and Prevention. Results indicate that the decision of drivers to use a mobile phone while driving is governed by a number of complex, non-linear relationships. Total trip distance is the most significant predictor variable by a wide margin, with mean SHAP values of 0.79 towards affecting the model decisions for the probability of mobile phone use of each driver. Fuel consumption had a particularly strong non-linear effect, as higher values of this variable lead to both higher and lower probability of drivers using a mobile phone, deviating from the safer average.
The UN Road Safety Collaboration organised the global campaign for the 7th UN Global Road Safety Week, which was held on 15-21 May 2023. World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with partners, organized periodic UN Global Road Safety Weeks. This 7th edition focused on sustainable transport, in particular the need to shift to walking, cycling and using public transport. Road safety is both a prerequisite for and an outcome of this shift.
The UK Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) organised the PACTS spring Conference 2023, which was held online, on 28 March 2023. The main theme of the Conference was Micromobility, Safety and Sustainability. Speakers from government, industry and user groups set out the landscape and particularly address safety and sustainability, both which remain key priorities for the Government.
The Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) and the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (EuroSafe) co-organised the EU-Safety 2023 Conference which was held with great success in Reykjavik, on 5-6 October 2023. Road Safety with focus on vulnerable road users was one of the main topics of the conference.
The HADRIAN Symposium was held in Graz, Austria, on 9-10 May 2023, under the theme “Shaping automated driving for human mobility needs“. The Horizon 2020 project HADRIAN (Holistic Approach for Driver Role Integration and Automation Allocation for European Mobility Needs) evaluated an holistic approach to shape automated driving to meet societal mobility needs. Over the last three years, the HADRIAN consortium investigated innovations within this scope and tested and demonstrated them in driving simulators and in real vehicles on test tracks and open roads. Results revealed that the “Integrated fluid HMI” had a great improvement in takeover performance and distraction prevention as well as outperformed with less mental or cognitive effort, higher comfort in use, and control feeling.
NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations:
A paper titled “Exploiting Surrogate Safety Measures and Road Design Characteristics towards Crash Investigations in Motorway Segments” authored by Dimitris Nikolaou, Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Katerina Deliali, Yannis Handanos, Christos Karadimas, Giorgos Kostoulas, Elina Frantzola and George Yannis has been published in Infrastructures. For this analysis, a database containing data on injury and property-damage-only crashes, road design characteristics, and SSMs of 668 segments was compiled and utilized. The results of the developed negative binomial regression model revealed that crash frequency is positively correlated with the average annual daily traffic volume, the length of the segment, harsh accelerations, and harsh braking.
AMRKS and Temple Academy have co-organised with great success the 9th International Conference “Road Safety Assessment-Challenges and Opportunities” which was held in Prishtina on 25 January 2023. This year’s conference came as a result of fruitful cooperation in several activities for road safety with the Kosovo Insurance Bureau BKS and with other institutions in this field in the country and abroad. It managed to serve as a powerful discussion platform to address the challenges and opportunities related to the road factor, which, along with the other two factors (the human factor and the vehicle factor), constitute the basic triangle of the causes of road accidents. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The EU Methodology for Network Wide Road Safety Assessment
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) organised with great success the 102nd Annual Meeting, which was held on 8-12 January 2023 in Washington DC. The meeting program covered all transportation modes, addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. More than 600 workshops and sessions were presented. NTUA actively contributed with the following papers and presentations:
POLIS, the European Cities Network, is organising the 2023 Annual Polis Conference, which will take place in Leuven, on 29-30 November 2023. 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.
The NTUA Institute of Communication & Computer Systems (ICCS) together with the European Technology Platform ALICE co-organised with great success the 9th International Physical Internet Conference (IPIC 2023) which was held in Athens on 13-15 June 2023. This year’s conference was open to all physical internet topics and focusing on Physical Internet as a suitable approach to overcome the latest global breakthroughs. The Call for contributions welcomes submissions related to the Physical Internet principles with a variety of themes to be covered.
The European Commission together with 2Zero, ERTRAC and CCAM organised with great success the Road Transport Research Results Conference (RTR Conference) which was held in Brussels on 14-16 February 2023. For the past six years, the RTR Conference has been a unique entry point into the achievements of EU-funded projects in road transport. Once again this year, participants had the chance to learn about results and expected impacts of CINEA supported Horizon 2020 projects, and the next steps in key areas for road transport research.
RDW (The Netherlands Vehicle Authority) hosted the CITA International Conference which was held in Rotterdam on 6-8 June 2023. The theme of the Conference was “Safe and Sustainable Road Transport”. Beside the plenary sessions, with top level representatives of the most relevant stakeholders, there was an opportunity to attend different split sessions: Vehicle compliance in Low and Middle Income Countries, new technologies and data management, environmental protection, corporate Members’ presentations, inspection procedures and methods, electric Vehicle & New transport modes, the Roadworthiness Package, vehicle approval.
A paper titled “Pedestrian safety attitudes and self-declared behaviour in Greece” authored by Dimitris Nikolaou, Alexandros Ntontis, Eva Michelaraki, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis has been published in IATSS Research. The two selected dependent variables for modelling are (i) crossing the road at places other than at a nearby (distance less than 30 m) designated pedestrian crossing and (ii) crossing the road when a pedestrian light is red. Several statistical relationships were discovered correlating these unsafe self-declared behaviours with numerous explanatory variables (and additionally five latent variables in the SEM). From the SEM, a positive statistically significant covariance of the two dependent variables was discovered, revealing that a pedestrian who will engage more frequently in crossing the road with red pedestrian light is more likely to also engage in crossing the road at places other than at a nearby pedestrian crossing.
The European Commission organised with great success the EU Road Safety Results Conference which was held as a hybrid event (in Brussels and online), on 8 December 2022. The Conference was an opportunity to engage with EU Member State authorities and all stakeholders across the road safety community. In addition, it allowed participants to exchange views and experiences on the efforts to reach Vision Zero. The EU Road Safety Results conference 2022 Presentations are now available.
The International Transport Forum (ITF) organised with great success the 7th Meeting of the Safer City Streets Network, which was held in Guadalajara, Mexico, on 18-19 October 2022. The Meeting’s agenda reflected plenty of key issues such as Monitoring Progress in Urban Road Safety – Release of new data and report and Inclusion, Equity, Gender, Sustainability and Participatory initiatives.
The Turkish National Police Academy – Directorate of Traffic Institute has organised with great success the 2nd International Road Safety Congress which was held in Istanbul on 17-20 November 2022. The International Road Federation (IRF Global) organised a special session on Artificial Intelligence for Safer Road Mobility in which NTUA contributed with the following presentation:
The Hellenic Association for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS Hellas) together with the Research University Institute of Communication and Computer Systems of NTUA, co-organised with great success the 8th ITS Hellas Conference, which took place in Athens on 7-8 December 2022. This Conference was held under the theme “Transportation & Logistics 2022: Research. Reshape. Innovate.”, focusing on the developments in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems in Greece. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in cooperation with participating ESV member countries organised the 27th International Technical Conference on The Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) which took place in Yokohama, Japan, on 3-6 April 2023. The conference was held under the theme “Enhanced and Equitable Vehicle Safety for All: Toward the next 50 years”.
The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) organised with great success the Road Safety on Five Continents (RS5C) Conference, which was held in Grapevine, Texas, on 10-12 October 2022. The Conference aimed to be a leading source of research results and interaction in the transport area with focus on safety and health associated with road transport. Based on this theme, participants from about 20 countries joined and about 70 presentations were held, about hot topics and the latest research in the road transport area. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The European Commission and the Agência Nacional de Inovação (ANI) together with the European Transport Research Platforms ACARE, ALICE, CEDR, ECTP, ERRAC, ERTRAC, ETRA and Waterborne, organised with great success the Transport Research Arena Conference (TRA2022) which took place in Lisbon, on 14-17 November 2022. The pillars of the Conference were the scientific excellence, research and innovation challenges, the latest technological and industrial developments and innovative policies regarding the European Transport Research and Innovation and the cooperation of Europe with other continents.
NTUA actively contributed with 33 innovative presentations:
Development of the road safety strategic plan in Greece, 2021-2030 Effective road safety measures in Greece EU countries’ ranking in different road crash types Harmonization of National Access Points to Intelligent Transport Systems data: A data content and added value perspective Potential safety outcomes of communication difficulties in mixed nationality crews: A study of Greek and Norwegian vessels The Baseline project: Key Performance Indicators for Road Safety in EU countries, based on a common methodology for data collection and analysis Assessing Driver Safety Behaviour in Greece Establishing the relationship between crashes and unsafe driver behaviors in motorway segments A methodology for the network-wide, in-built safety assessment of roads Simulation platform from data collection to impact assessment of autonomous vehicles Identifying the automated vehicle driving policy in the vicinity of pedestrian The LEVITATE Policy Support Tool of Connected and Automated Transport Systems The impacts of automated urban delivery and consolidation How to Define a Safety Tolerance Zone for Speed? Investigation of the time spent in dangerous driving conditions: Findings from the i-DREAMS project Framework for behaviour change implemented in real-time and post-trip interventions of the H2020 i-DREAMS naturalistic driving project Effectiveness of real-time and post-trip interventions from the H2020 i-DREAMS naturalistic driving project: a sneak preview Safety impact assessment for seamless interactions through Human-Machine Interfaces: Indicators, requirements, and practical considerations Traffic & Environmental Impact Assessment Under Distinct Operational Speeds For Automated Shuttle Bus Services Was average speed affected by the COVID-19 response measures? Findings from Athens, Greece A critical assessment of Athens Traffic Restrictions using multiple data sources Traffic Impacts of Innovative Traffic and Parking Arrangements in Athens, Greece The impact of cognitive disorders and other risk factors on reaction time of drivers: a Structural Equation Model approach A socioeconomic analysis for a green traffic restrictions scheme in Athens The impact of mobility characteristics on public transport and road safety performance in selected European cities Critical impact factors of pedestrians traffic combining multiple data sources in Athens Free Public Transport in Athens: a stated preference approach Electric or not? Factors affecting Greek Drivers’ Preference when Purchasing a New Vehicle Critical Factors Affecting Mobile Phone Use While Driving Through the Exploitation of Data from Smartphone Sensors Critical travel time impact factors at the implementation of the Athens Great Walk The Comparative Evaluation of Road Safety Developments in Greek Regions Association Rule Mining for Island and Mainland Road Crash Injuries in Greece The impact of weather conditions and driver characteristics on road safety on rural roads
A paper titled “Impacts of autonomous on-demand mobility service: A simulation experiment in the City of Athens” authored by Vasileios Mourtakos, Maria Oikonomou, Pantelis Kopelias, Eleni Vlahogianni and George Yannis has been published in Transportation Letters. To that end, an urban on-demand shuttle service was designed, optimized, based on a variation of the Dial-a-Ride optimization problem (DARP), and implemented in the road network of the city of Athens to serve different portions of demand with various capacity specifications. Findings show that it led to improved network level traffic conditions, as delays decreased, and that traffic impacts evolve with fleet capacity and served demand. Furthermore, the number of conflicts decreased and the environmental conditions significantly improved, with CAVs in the network, while the traveled distance increased.
The South African Roads Federation (SARF) together with IRF and PIARC co-organised with great success the 7th African Regional Conference, which took place in Cape Town on 18-20 October 2022. This year’s conference theme was “Connecting Africa through Smart, Safe and Resilient Roads: Stimulating Growth and Trade on the Continent“. PIARC Technical Committee 3.1 on Road Safety organised a seminar to demonstrate and discuss the challenges of safe and efficient road transport especially in Low and Middle Income Countries. Special emphassis was given to PIARC extensive work on road safety (Road Safety Manual, Tunnels Manual, Road Safety in LMIC, etc.).
The European Commission together with the European Partnership on Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) and the FAME project organised the fourth European Conference on Connected and Automated Driving (EUCAD 2023), which was held in Brussels on 3-4 May 2023. This event brought together political leaders from the European Commission and Member States with high-level representatives of industry, academia, and road authorities from across Europe and internationally, to discuss whether our societies are prepared for the deployment of smart, inclusive, and sustainable mobility solutions.
The German Road and Transportation Research Association (FGSV) organised with great success the Working Committee 3.9 “Road Safety Management” which was held online on 12 October 2022, under the theme “Road Safety Management“. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation:
ERTICO organised the ITS European Congress, which was held in Lisbon on 22-24 May 2023, under the theme “ITS: The Game Changer”. The Congress focused on five topics on ITS and Smart Mobility, that served as the foundational basis for the entire programme. Several submissions explored best practice implementations, issues related to data ownership, privacy and security, and other aspects of data processing.
The European Commission funded Baseline project (Collection of Key Performance Indicators for Road Safety in the EU) organised with great success the Road Safety KPIs Conference which was held as a hybrid event (in Brussels and online), on 19 October 2022. The results of the extensive data collection and analysis performed in the EU countries were presented covering all 8 KPIs defined at the EU road safety strategic action plan: Speed, Alcohol, Distraction, Safety belt, Helmet, Vehicle safety, Infrastructure and Post-crash care. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations :
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) organised with great success the PIN Talk “Improving the road safety of young and novice drivers”, which was held on 20 October 2022, in Prague, Czechia. The PIN Talk focused on how to improve the road safety of young and novice drivers. Representatives of the Czech Republic, Germany and Norway shared details of the steps that they have taken or intend to take to reduce road deaths among young and novice drivers in their countries.
The Transport Community organised with great success the 3rd Western Balkans Road Safety Observatory Meeting (WBRSO) which took place in Belgrade, on 6 October 2022. The Meeting covered topics related to the Western Balkans Road Safety Action Plan as well as the work plan of the WBRSO. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations :
The International Alcohol Interlock Symposium organised by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) was held with great success on 18 September 2022, in Oslo, Norway. Alcohol interlock programs have expanded greatly in recent decades. Since 2000, the Alcohol Interlock Symposium global forum has hosted leading experts to discuss ongoing research and development regarding alcohol and drug impaired driving, interlock programs, and road traffic safety.
The European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) organised with great success the 26th SLEEP EUROPE Congress, which was held on 27-30 September 2022, in Athens. The Congress, following the difficult period of a pandemic that barred international travel and prevented scientists from sharing their experience and progress in meetings in person, aimed to facilitate exchange of ideas and knowledge in a manner that promoted science and bonded further the scientific community by face to face interaction. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) organised with great success the Global Regional Road Safety Observatories (GRRSO) Dialogue on Powered Two-Wheeler Safety, that was held as a hybrid event (in Manila, Philippines and online) on 11-12 October 2022. The event brought together an unprecedented range of global experts and practitioners striving to address deaths and serious injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes. Additionally, it provided a unique opportunity to address issues relating to countries and cities where powered two-wheelers are the predominant form of transport.
The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) of the International Transport Forum (ITF/OECD), the Université Gustave Eiffel, CEREMA, ONISR and ENTPE co-organised with great success the 7th IRTAD Conference: Better Road Safety Data for Better Safety Outcomes, which was held in Lyon, on 27 – 28 September 2022 . The Conference focused on improvements in the quality of data systems and data analysis in IRTAD and other countries as an essential way to build and monitor strong road safety policies in the Decade 2021-2030, which are comprehensively summarized at the IRTAD Declaration. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations :
Traffic fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic: Key lessons learned EU Project Baseline measuring road safety performance indicators Collection of Key Performance Indicators for Road Safety in Greece Setting Priority Measures to meet Targets and KPIs: The Greek National Road Safety Plan 2021-2030 Driver behaviour KPIs through smartphone telematics Crash data systems within the Eastern Partnership Road Safety Observatory
The Horizon 2020 research project SHOW project (SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption) organised with great success the 3rd Pan-European Workshop, titled “Including a technical visit to the automated bus pilot at EMT bus depot”, which was held in Madrid, on 19 October 2022. The workshop started with a series of speeches from high-level representatives from EMT, the city of Madrid and the European Commission, followed by a deeper look into SHOW insights from the real-life demonstrations that have started in numerous cities in Europe.
VTI – Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute in collaboration with SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Center at Chalmers organised with great success the 7th International Conference on Traffic and Transport Psychology (ICTTP), which was held in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 23-25 August 2022. The Conference philosophy was Taking the Vision Zero Initiative into a New Decade and the focus was on the role that traffic and transport psychology can play in reaching the ethical standpoint that no-one should die or be seriously injured in traffic by providing a common ground for future interdisciplinary research. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS) organised with great success the 8th GIFTS Symposium, which was held as a hybrid event (in Tokyo and online), on 29 November 2022. In this 8th forum, experts in transportation and safety as well as specialists from international organizations, had the opportunity to exchange opinions and discuss about the ideal traffic society and urban planning from the perspective of the “positive benefits”.
EIT Urban Mobility organised with great success the Tomorrow Mobility World Congress, which was held in Barcelona and online, on 15-17 November 2022. The event lasted three days, featuring ongoing conversations with international experts, and was a place to learn about the challenges and solutions of urban mobility.
European Commission organised with great success the European Research and Innovation Days annual event, that was held online on 28 and 29 September 2022. This is the European Commission’s annual flagship Research and Innovation event, bringing together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and the public to debate and shape the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond. This year’s event provided the opportunity to discuss and shape new solutions to strengthen Europe’s resilience and its strategic autonomy.
The Urban Mobility Days Conference 2022, co-organised by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport (DG MOVE) and the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU was held with great success in the city of Brno (Czech Republic) on 20-22 September 2022. Urban Mobility Days provides a unique forum for policymakers, local authorities, academics, NGOs, urban transport practitioners, and urban planners to connect and discuss the way forward for a sustainable, innovative, and equitable future for Europe’s urban mobility. This year’s theme was “Moving people and goods more sustainably”.
The Association for European Transport organised with great success the 50th European Transport Conference which was held in Madrid, on 7-9 September 2022. The conference took as its main theme: “Behavior Change-the impacts of the climate emergency and COVID-19 on long term travel patterns” and focused on the future and how transport planning can respond to the challenges of climate change and of life post-Covid.
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft (AHG) and the City of Athens co-organised with great success the Athens Urban Age Forum that was held in Athens on 16 June 2022. The Forum brought together experts from Milan, London, Paris, Barcelona and Vienna with their counterparts in the City of Athens, to discuss how European cities can transform their urban environment and improve liveability through investments in the public realm, parks and open spaces, sustainable mobility and equitable planning. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The Research Institute of Human Factors in Road Safety together with Faculty of Social Sciences at Bar Ilan Center University co-organised with great success the 30th Annual Conference of Road Safety, which took place online on 28 July 2022. Thirteen Israeli lecturers and six lecturers from US, UK, Australia, Germany, Greece and Italy presented their original research on this international scientific conference. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The Centro Studi Città Amica per la sicurezza nella Mobilità (CESCAM) of the University of Brescia, organised with great success the 3rd International Conference on Road Safety, that was held in Brescia, on 13 June 2022. This year the International Conference focused on “Priorities Actions Agenda”, or rather on which criteria to adopt to draw up an agenda of intervention priorities regarding road safety. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentation :
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) organized with great success the PIN Talk “Road Safety Strategies: Saving lives”, which was held on 7 July 2022, in Madrid, Spain. The PIN Talk focused on the role of road safety strategies in helping to reduce road deaths and serious injuries. ETSC and plenty of countries presented their latest road safety strategies.
ETSC, Fundación MAPFRE and the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge (VSV) organised with great success the 2022 edition of the European Traffic Education Seminar, which was held as a hybrid event (online and in Madrid), on 13 September 2022. The aims of the seminar were to equip young road users to become safe road users, given the appropriate education. The seminar consisted of two distinct parts, focused on sustainable mobility with traffic safety and presentations on the latest traffic education projects from across Europe.
The Dresden Technical University organised with great success the International Cycling Safety Conference (ICSC2022) which was held in Dresden, Germany on 8–10 November 2022. The ICSC is a forum for researchers and experts in the field of cycling safety to exchange their knowledge and bring up new research topics and safety solutions. The conference included 12 parallel sessions, 2 keynote speeches, 2 poster sessions and a variety of social events.
The Province of Brescia, leader partner of the Interreg Europe programme, co-organised with great success the Final High Level Political Dissemination Event of the e-MOPOLI project, which was held in Brescia on Wednesday 13th July 2022. The project, which started in 2018 and will end in November this year, involves 9 partners from 8 European countries: Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Romania and Latvia.
The European Union Road Federation (ERF) together with AISICO, organized with great success the second edition of the International Conference on Road Safety- Smart and Safe Roads: the role of vehicle restraint systems which took place on 29th-30th September 2022 at AISICO test Lab in Italy. The main topic of the Conference was to analyze how road restraint systems are evolving to face an ever growing demand for safety in a world that is moving towards smart roads. The conference was organized in 3 sessions .
The 6th International Symposium for Highway Geometric Design (ISHGD) took place with great success in Amsterdam on 29 June 2022. The Symposium managed to encourage the continuous improvement of highway geometric design and focused on the latest breakthrough practices relating to highway engineering in their different life phases, including daily operational effects and safe highway designs. NTUA actively contributed with the following presentations and papers :
Development and implementation of a methodology for the economic appraisal of road infrastructure safety schemes (Best Paper Award) Superelevation Transition Assessment on Rural Roads with Reverse Consecutive Horizontal Curves Impact of Road and Traffic Characteristics on Driver Behaviour and Safety Using Data from Smartphone Urban Street Network Upgrade for the New Intercity Bus Terminal in the City of Athens Pavement Grooving Pattern Direction Investigation as a Countermeasure of Hydroplaning Passenger Cars Safety Assessment on Interchange Ramps Passing Sight Distance -Regulations Vs Reality
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) published the 16th edition of PIN Annual Report , with the active contribution of NTUA, presented at the 2022 ETSC Road Safety Performance Index Award event which took place online with great success on 15 June 2022. The EU27 collectively reduced the number of road deaths by 31% over the period 2011-2021, from 28,865 in 2011 to 19,823 in 2021. There were 57,095 fewer deaths on EU roads over the last decade than there would have been if deaths had continued at the same level as in 2011.
