PIARC – DataBook of Roads and Road Transport 2020-2023

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a DataBook of Roads and Road Transport for 2020-2023. This report focuses on the collection of various data related to roads, road transport and safety which are internationally comparable with their accuracy and consistency ensured. The results of the data synthesis of roads/road transport and some kinds of basic data are graphically represented and must be informative for PIARC members. Also included is a summary of the work of PIARC presented as conclusions. 

March 5th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Conclusion, January 2024

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 conclusion of this project was presented by the PIARC President Nazir Alli. Throughout the year, this global project addressed issues relating to vehicles, speed, data, vulnerable road users, infrastructure, tunnels, management and human factors in order to improve road safety.  video

January 26th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

NTUA Road Safety Observatory in numbers, 2023

The 2023 infographic of NTUA Road Safety Observatory (www.nrso.ntua.gr) highlights one more very intensive and highly fruitful year. The nrso scientific team with high dedication, efficiency and expertise continues to grow and excel, being active in 31 innovative research projects, succeeded to publish 49 scientific papers (23 in peer reviewed journals), and travelled around the world in hundreds of meetings to develop and promote road safety science. The 30 Marathons campaign for promoting 30km/h city-wide speed limit was also widely welcomed, contributing to the culture of calm and safe streets everywhere and for all. pdf5

January 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Machine Learning Insights on Driving Behaviour Dynamics among Germany, Belgium, and UK Drivers, January 2024

A paper titled “Machine Learning Insights on Driving Behaviour Dynamics among Germany, Belgium, and UK Drivers” authored by Stella RoussouThodoris GarefalakisEva MichelarakiTom Brijs and George Yannis, has been published in Sustainability. Two machine learning approaches, Long Short-term Memory Networks and Neural Networks were implemented. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of i-DREAMS’ real-time interventions and post-trip assessments on enhancing driving behaviour. Furthermore, it is worth noting that neural networks demonstrated superior performance compared to other algorithms considered within this research context. doi

January 16th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

IRTAD – Road Safety Annual Report, 2023

The International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) of the International Transport Forum (ITF/OECD) published the Road Safety Annual Report 2023, focusing on the development of road safety in 2022, with the active contribution of NTUA. It is based on data from 35 IRTAD member countries, with some preliminary data also for the year 2023. The main findings revealed that the number of fatalities continued to fall compared with 2019 and previous years. The necessity on the adoption of low emission zones, traffic limited zones and the development of 30 km/h zones by many cities was also highlighted.  pdf5

January 10th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Perceptions towards autonomous vehicle acceptance: Information mining from Self-Organizing Maps and Random Forests, December 2023

A paper titled “Perceptions towards autonomous vehicle acceptance: Information mining from Self-Organizing Maps and Random Forests” authored by Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Christina Telidou, Apostolos Anagnostopoulos, Fotini Kehagia and George Yannis, has been published in IATSS Research. Random Forests (RF) feature importance calculation indicated a number of affecting variables with distance covering capabilities of AVs being a major factor affecting acceptance decisions, followed (by a wide margin) by responder opinions on whether the principles and conscience of drivers can be replaced by an AI navigator without reducing safety levels. doi

December 29th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

NTUA / Marie Curie – 4 New PhD Vacancies on AI for Road Safety, January 2024

Within the framework of the Horizon Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Industrial Doctoral Network IVORY – Artificial Intelligence for Vision Zero in Road Safety, a call for applications for 15 new Industrial PhD candidates has been launched, 4 of them to be hosted by National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a Centre of Road Safety Research Excellence with global recognition. The 4 PhD Candidates will be recruited for 3 years, shared between Academia and Industry and are expected to be strongly focused and motivated on advanced research and quantitative analysis for innovative road safety solutions.

Detailed description for each PhD position, including the required mobility rules, can be found at: pdf5 pdf5 pdf5 pdf5

Applications by 16 February 2024, via email (cv & motivation letter) to: Prof. George Yannis geyannis@central.ntua.gr

December 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

NTUA / Marie Curie – New PhD Vacancy – Road safety prediction on the basis of ethically sound physiological measurements, January 2024

Within the framework of the Horizon Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Industrial Doctoral Network IVORY Artificial Intelligence for Vision Zero in Road Safety, a call for applications for the following Industrial PhD candidate has been launched, to be hosted by National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a Centre of Road Safety Research Excellence with global recognition. Detailed description, including the required mobility rules, can be found below and at: pdf5


PhD title

PhD #14  Road safety prediction on the basis of ethically sound physiological measurements

Vacancy description

Within the IVORY doctoral network, this PhD position aims to understand and predict how the psychophysiological state of the driver contributes to overall road safety, particularly by using measurements of physiological data, such as the electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), blood pressure, among others. The goal is to create machine learning models that relate individual physiological dynamics with road safety indicators, with the ultimate objective of accurately and reliably detecting and warning, in real-time, when the driver is unfit for the driving task, regardless of automation level. Deep learning methodologies, such as convolutional neural networks, should be considered, as well as privacy-by-design frameworks.

The position contributes to road safety research by compiling a taxonomy of driver monitoring technologies, creating innovative algorithms for physiological-based, real-time prediction of driver capability and its impact on safety, in several real-world scenarios, and to explore and create frameworks to assess the ethical and privacy dimensions of the use of driver monitoring technologies.

Project description

IVORY (ivory-network.eu) is a Horizon Europe MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE ACTION Industrial Doctoral Network consisting of 22 partners (universities, industry, and non-governmental organizations). The project aims to develop a new framework for the integration of AI in road safety and train a new generation of leading researchers in the field, in order to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals target 3.6 (halving the number of traffic fatalities by 2030) and EC ‘Vision Zero’ strategy (eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050).

PhD students will obtain their PhD degree from the relevant academic partner, and spend at least 50% of their PhD time at the relevant non-academic partner.

Academic host:  National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens, Greece

School of Civil Engineering, Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering

Months 19-36 of PhD

Industry host: CardioID Technologies Lda, Lisbon, Portugal
Months 1-18 of PhD

Secondment(s):

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Delft, The Netherlands

Duration: 4 months

Research field(s): Transport engineering; Data science; Physiological computing; AI ethics

Type of contract: Fixed-term

Employment status: Full time (1.0 fte)

Eligibility criteria

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent);
  • Not in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment;
  • Recruited applicants can be of any nationality and must undertake trans-national mobility (i.e., move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. In particular, at the time of selection, the recruited applicant for this position must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

Required skills

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in biomedical engineering, transport engineering, computer science, or relevant fields; other Master’s degrees will also be considered if you have demonstrable expertise, for instance, in data science, signal processing, multi-variate analysis, modeling, or machine learning.
  • Familiarity with signal processing techniques (filtering, linear systems, transforms, discrete signals).
  • Strong conceptual and analytical skills.
  • Strong capacity to undertake research.
  • Excellent academic writing and presentation skills.
  • The ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
  • High level of proficiency in English.
  • Willingness to work in a multi-national, diverse environment.

Optional skills (preferred but not required)

  • Familiarity and hands-on experience with handling physiological signals (e.g., electrocardiogram, photoplethysmogram, electroencephalogram, electrodermal activity).
  • Capacity to conceptualize and conduct experiments to collect physiological data.
  • Familiarity with concepts related to human factors engineering.
  • Familiarity with machine learning algorithms, deep learning, and dynamic modeling.
  • Familiarity with advanced statistics (statistical tests and regression) and probability theory (probability distributions, Bayesian statistics).
  • Familiarity with concepts related to ethical and fair use of machine learning systems.
  • Familiarity with concepts related to data protection and privacy (e.g., GDPR).
  • Coding skills in Python.
  • Familiarity with Python libraries and frameworks for signal processing and machine learning (e.g., numpy, pandas, scikit-learn, tensorflow, keras, pytorch).
  • Familiarity with Git version control.

English requirements

Proof of English language proficiency at a Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level of C1, or an MSc degree in English, or IELTS: minimum 8.0 / TOEFL: minimum 110

Salary

The successful candidate will receive an attractive salary following the MSCA regulations for doctoral candidates. The exact salary will vary depending on the country of the host partner and will be confirmed upon appointment. The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during the duration of the fellowship), and is very competitive overall.

Other benefits

In addition, the doctoral candidate will benefit from extensive training within the IVORY network, which includes internships/secondments in other laboratories, a variety of training courses (including transferable skills), and active participation in workshops and conferences.

Application process

Candidates should apply electronically using the link indicated in the PhD position(s) of their interest;

Candidates should provide the following documents:

  • Detailed CV, including information on the candidate’s proficiency in English;
  • Motivation letter (1 page), describing why the position fits the applicant
  • Contact information of 2 references

Application deadline: 16 February 2024

Applications to be sent to:  Prof. George Yannis: geyannis@central.ntua.gr

Academic host

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is the oldest Engineering University in Greece and it plays a paragon role in the scientific, technical and economic development of Greece but also in Europe and worldwide, consistently ranking as the best Greek technical university. Currently, it is ranked among the top engineering and technology universities (3rd in Europe and 7th worldwide) by Shanghai World University Rankings. NTUA has been involved in more than 160 road safety research projects since the early 1990s, comprising 70 European Commission projects, 14 International Organisation projects (UN-ECE, WHO, EIB, World Bank, ITF, CEDR) and 76 Greek projects. NTUA has well established communication channels to promote research findings: more than 800 road safety scientific publications highly cited globally, including more than 220 in scientific journals and 550 in scientific conferences. The NTUA Road Safety Observatory (NRSO) (www.nrso.ntua.gr) has a widespread recognition at the global road safety community as a center of research and innovation excellence on road safety, having received during the last 10 years more than 150.000 road safety visitors and more than 2,800,000 visits (today steadily more than 3.000 visits per month).

Industry host

CardioID was born out of research on Physiological Computing, studying ECG signals for biometrics, health, and wellbeing purposes, on the premise that each cardiac signal is unique. CardioID has developed several collaborative projects aimed at integrating its technology in the most diverse environments, such as in the automotive industry, critical facilities, and hospitals.

For CardioID, please contact Dr. André Lourenço – arl@cardio-id.com

December 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

NTUA / Marie Curie – New PhD Vacancy – AI for road safety monitoring and crash prediction from micro to macro levels, January 2024

Within the framework of the Horizon Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Industrial Doctoral Network IVORY Artificial Intelligence for Vision Zero in Road Safety, a call for applications for the following Industrial PhD candidate has been launched, to be hosted by National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a Centre of Road Safety Research Excellence with global recognition. Detailed description, including the required mobility rules, can be found below and at: pdf5


PhD title

PhD #9  AI for road safety monitoring and crash prediction from micro to macro levels 

Vacancy description

Within the IVORY doctoral network, this PhD position aims to investigate the effect of spatial scale on road safety monitoring and crash prediction, to develop a new state-of-the-art AI framework to observe and analyse road safety Key Performance Indicators and predict crashes by achieving transition from smaller scales (e.g., on a segment, intersection or neighbourhood level) to larger ones (e.g., highway corridor or prefecture/county level), taking into account the time dimension, and to assess the effectiveness and scalability of microscopic road safety models for macroscopic crash prediction and vice versa.

The position contributes to road safety research by evaluating several scaling combinations that will also feature capabilities of ‘zooming in/zooming out’ of study areas using different levels of telematics (e.g., trip-based, driver-based or network-based using several drivers) and synthesizing knowledge on comparable advantages and disadvantages for each analysis scale. A case study utilising driver telematics in an urban area will be conducted, with actionable results, compatible with the vision and activities of OSeven – showcasing the impact of using AI for micro-analysis based on driver telematics and integrating the findings to larger scales.

Project description

IVORY (ivory-network.eu) is a Horizon Europe MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE ACTION Industrial Doctoral Network consisting of 22 partners (universities, industry, and non-governmental organizations). The project aims to develop a new framework for the integration of AI in road safety and train a new generation of leading researchers in the field, in order to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals target 3.6 (halving the number of traffic fatalities by 2030) and EC ‘Vision Zero’ strategy (eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050).

PhD students will obtain their PhD degree from the relevant academic partner, and spend at least 50% of their PhD time at the relevant non-academic partner.

Academic host:  National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens, Greece

School of Civil Engineering, Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering

Months 19-36 of PhD

Industry host: OSeven, Athens, Greece, Months 1-18 of PhD

Secondment(s): EIRA-SI, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Duration: 4 months

Research field(s): Transport engineering; Traffic safety; Data science; Spatial analysis

Type of contract: Fixed-term

Employment status: Full time (1.0 fte)

Eligibility criteria

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent);
  • Not in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment;
  • Recruited applicants can be of any nationality and must undertake trans-national mobility (i.e., move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. In particular, at the time of selection, the recruited applicant for this position must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Greece for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

Required skills

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in computer science, mathematics, computer/electrical engineering; other Master’s degrees (i.e. physics, civil/transport/mechanical engineering) will also be considered, if you have experience in algorithm development
  • Familiarity and hands-on experience with machine learning algorithms
  • Familiarity with statistics (statistical tests and regression) and probability distributions
  • Coding skills in Python
  • Strong conceptual and analytical skills
  • Proven capacity to undertake research
  • Excellent research, academic writing and presentation skills
  • The ability to work both independently and as part of a team
  • High level of proficiency in English
  • Commitment to undertaking multi-year (3 years or more) doctoral research

 

Optional skills (preferred but not required)

  • Familiarity with data handling and manipulation, experience working with big data
  • Passion about road infrastructure and transport safety fields
  • Commitment to undertaking multi-year (3 years or more) doctoral research

English requirements

Proof of English language proficiency at a Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level of C1, or an MSc degree in English, or IELTS: minimum 8.0 / TOEFL: minimum 110

Salary

The successful candidate will receive an attractive salary following the MSCA regulations for doctoral candidates. The exact salary will vary depending on the country of the host partner and will be confirmed upon appointment. The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during the duration of the fellowship), and is very competitive overall.

Other benefits

In addition, the doctoral candidate will benefit from extensive training within the IVORY network, which includes internships/secondments in other laboratories, a variety of training courses (including transferable skills), and active participation in workshops and conferences.

Application process

Candidates should apply electronically using the link indicated in the PhD position(s) of their interest;

Candidates should provide the following documents:

Detailed CV, including information on the candidate’s proficiency in English;

Motivation letter (1 page), describing why the position fits the applicant

Contact information of 2 references

Application deadline: 16 February 2024

Applications to be sent to:  Prof. George Yannis: geyannis@central.ntua.gr

Academic host

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is the oldest Engineering University in Greece and it plays a paragon role in the scientific, technical and economic development of Greece but also in Europe and worldwide, consistently ranking as the best Greek technical university. Currently, it is ranked among the top engineering and technology universities (3rd in Europe and 7th worldwide) by Shanghai World University Rankings. NTUA has been involved in more than 160 road safety research projects since the early 1990s, comprising 70 European Commission projects, 14 International Organisation projects (UN-ECE, WHO, EIB, World Bank, ITF, CEDR) and 76 Greek projects. NTUA has well established communication channels to promote research findings: more than 800 road safety scientific publications highly cited globally, including more than 220 in scientific journals and 550 in scientific conferences. The NTUA Road Safety Observatory (NRSO) (www.nrso.ntua.gr) has a widespread recognition at the global road safety community as a center of research and innovation excellence on road safety, having received during the last 10 years more than 150.000 road safety visitors and more than 2,800,000 visits (today steadily more than 3.000 visits per month).

Industry host

OSeven is a VC backed, high technology company and part of Endeavor Global network. The company provides world-class telematics solutions for insurance companies, banks, telecom, automotive, leasing, and fleet management companies around the globe. OSeven’s AI-enabled, Big-Data telematics solution analyses data collected from different sources (smartphones, OBD devices, Beacons, connected vehicles) to assess the risk associated with driving behaviour and record the vehicle’s mileage. Leveraging advanced Machine Learning, OSeven achieves with great accuracy the detection of several risk factors, including harsh braking and acceleration events, speed limit violations and mobile use while driving.

December 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

NTUA / Marie Curie – New PhD Vacancy – Proactive risk mapping and infrastructure safety management, January 2024

Within the framework of the Horizon Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Industrial Doctoral Network IVORY Artificial Intelligence for Vision Zero in Road Safety, a call for applications for the following Industrial PhD candidate has been launched, to be hosted by National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a Centre of Road Safety Research Excellence with global recognition. Detailed description, including the required mobility rules, can be found below and at: pdf5


PhD title

PhD #8  Proactive risk mapping and infrastructure safety management

Vacancy description

Within the IVORY doctoral network, this PhD position aims to create an AI framework to process, harmonise, analyse and model an array of different available datasets and provide outputs in the form of risk mapping and network-level evaluations. It will develop new AI algorithms for road attribute collection, along with methodologies to assess and quantify their accuracies, suitable for network applications and including hybrid, e.g., manually collected data and will use the AI-augmented dataset creation effort for a suitable working methodology for the generation of hybrid road attribute data and enhanced proactive risk mapping.

The position contributes to road safety research by formulating a functional framework with the use of AI to exploit road risk information in a meaningful manner, transferable between networks. It will assess and quantify the influence of each examined factor on the output of AI algorithms for safety management. A case study with actionable results will be conducted, compatible with the mission and activities of iRAP – namely, a proactive risk mapping and evaluation of a network and comparison with existing risk-mapping results, and quantification of transferability to a second network.

Project description

IVORY (ivory-network.eu) is a Horizon Europe MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE ACTION Industrial Doctoral Network consisting of 22 partners (universities, industry, and non-governmental organizations). The project aims to develop a new framework for the integration of AI in road safety and train a new generation of leading researchers in the field, in order to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals target 3.6 (halving the number of traffic fatalities by 2030) and EC ‘Vision Zero’ strategy (eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050).

PhD students will obtain their PhD degree from the relevant academic partner, and spend at least 50% of their PhD time at the relevant non-academic partner.

Academic host:  National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens, Greece

School of Civil Engineering, Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering

Months 19-36 of PhD

Industry host: iRAP, London, United Kingdom, Months 1-18 of PhD

Secondment(s): FRED Engineering, Rome, Italy, Duration: 4 months

OSeven, Athens, Greece, Duration: 9 months

Research field(s): Transport engineering; Traffic safety; Data science; Spatial analysis

Type of contract: Fixed-term

Employment status: Full time (1.0 fte)

Eligibility criteria

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent);
  • Not in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment;
  • Recruited applicants can be of any nationality and must undertake trans-national mobility (i.e., move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. In particular, at the time of selection, the recruited applicant for this position must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

Required skills

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any technical science
  • Familiarity and hands-on experience with machine learning algorithms
  • Familiarity with statistics (statistical tests and regression) and probability distributions
  • Coding skills in Python or R
  • Strong conceptual and analytical skills
  • Proven capacity to undertake research
  • Excellent research, academic writing and presentation skills
  • The ability to work both independently and as part of a team
  • High level of proficiency in English

Optional skills (preferred but not required)

  • Familiarity with data handling and manipulation, experience working with big data
  • Passion about road infrastructure and transport safety fields
  • Commitment to undertaking multi-year (3 years or more) doctoral research

English requirements

Proof of English language proficiency at a Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level of C1, or an MSc degree in English, or IELTS: minimum 8.0 / TOEFL: minimum 110

Salary

The successful candidate will receive an attractive salary following the MSCA regulations for doctoral candidates. The exact salary will vary depending on the country of the host partner and will be confirmed upon appointment. The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during the duration of the fellowship), and is very competitive overall.

Other benefits

In addition, the doctoral candidate will benefit from extensive training within the IVORY network, which includes internships/secondments in other laboratories, a variety of training courses (including transferable skills), and active participation in workshops and conferences.

Application process

Candidates should apply electronically using the link indicated in the PhD position(s) of their interest;

Candidates should provide the following documents:

  • Detailed CV, including information on the candidate’s proficiency in English;
  • Motivation letter (1 page), describing why the position fits the applicant
  • Contact information of 2 references

Application deadline: 16 February 2024

Applications to be sent to:  Prof. George Yannis: geyannis@central.ntua.gr

Academic host

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is the oldest Engineering University in Greece and it plays a paragon role in the scientific, technical and economic development of Greece but also in Europe and worldwide, consistently ranking as the best Greek technical university. Currently, it is ranked among the top engineering and technology universities (3rd in Europe and 7th worldwide) by Shanghai World University Rankings. NTUA has been involved in more than 160 road safety research projects since the early 1990s, comprising 70 European Commission projects, 14 International Organisation projects (UN-ECE, WHO, EIB, World Bank, ITF, CEDR) and 76 Greek projects. NTUA has well established communication channels to promote research findings: more than 800 road safety scientific publications highly cited globally, including more than 220 in scientific journals and 550 in scientific conferences. The NTUA Road Safety Observatory (NRSO) (www.nrso.ntua.gr) has a widespread recognition at the global road safety community as a center of research and innovation excellence on road safety, having received during the last 10 years more than 150.000 road safety visitors and more than 2,800,000 visits (today steadily more than 3.000 visits per month).

Industry host

The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) is a registered charity dedicated to saving lives by eliminating high risk roads throughout the world. Like many life-saving charities working in the public health arena, we use a robust, evidence-based approach to prevent unnecessary deaths and suffering. iRAP works in partnership with governments, road authorities, mobility clubs, development banks, NGOs and research organisations to:

  • Inspect high-risk roads and develop Star Ratings, Risk Maps and Safer Roads Investment Plans
  • Provide training, technology and support that will build and sustain national, regional and local capability
  • Track road safety performance so that funding agencies can assess the benefits of their investments.

December 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Behaviour, December 2023

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 behaviour, as presented by NTUA Professor George Yannis. Throughout the year, PIARC focuses on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.  ppt5 video

December 19th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Exploring speeding behavior using naturalistic car driving data from smartphones, December 2023

A paper titled “Exploring speeding behavior using naturalistic car driving data from smartphones ” authored by Armira KontaxiDimosthenis-Marios TzoutzoulisApostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis, has been published in Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering. The results from the interpretation of the estimated parameters of the models indicate that trip distance and mobile phone use while driving have been determined as statistically significant and positively correlated with the percentage of speeding time during a driver’s trip. In the same context, male drivers and drivers in the age group of 18–34 also increase the percentages of speeding instances while driving. doi

 

December 14th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Examination of the Effect of Task Complexity and Coping Capacity on Driving Risk, December 2023

A paper titled “Examination of the Effect of Task Complexity and Coping Capacity on Driving Risk: A Cross-Country and Transportation Mode Comparative Study” authored by Stella Roussou, Thodoris Garefalakis, Eva MichelarakiChristos Katrakazas, Muhammad Adnan, Muhammad Wissal Khattak, Tom Brijs and George Yannis, has been published in Sensors. The findings revealed a positive relationship between task complexity and coping capacity, indicating that as the difficulty of the driving task increased, the driver’s coping capacity also increased (i.e., higher ability to manage and adapt to the challenges posed by more complex tasks). doi

December 14th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

WHO – Global Status Report on Road Safety, December 2023

The fifth Edition of the Global Status Report on Road safety 2023 (GSRRS) has been published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2023, with the active contribution of NTUA. The 2023 Edition of GSRRS contains a unique wealth of data and information on current status of road safety in the UN countries, highly useful for all types of road safety stakeholders globally. The GSRRS highlights the insufficient global progress as the number of annual road traffic deaths has reached 1.19 million. The GSRRS demonstrates that the price paid for mobility remains too high despite the fact that efforts to improve road safety are having an impact and that significant reductions in road traffic deaths can be made if proven measures are systematically applied.  pdf5

December 13th, 2023|Categories: Data, Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Management, December 2023

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 road safety management, as presented by the head of Road Safety at the Transport Accident Commission of Australia Samantha Cockfield. Throughout the year, PIARC focuses on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.  ppt5 video

December 12th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

ITF – Using Safety Performance Indicators to Improve Road Safety, December 2023

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published a new Report titled “Using Safety Performance Indicators to Improve Road Safety – The case of Korea“ with the active contribution of NTUA. This Report explores how Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) can play a critical role in implementing the Safe System approach to road safety. The example of Korea was examined. Developing safety performance indicators involves identifying and prioritising policy areas, selecting relevant indicators, continuously monitoring and evaluating progress, and aligning selected indicators with national road safety strategies. link pdf5

December 11th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

NTUA Professors among the top 2% researchers in the world, November 2023

In a recently published study conducted at Stanford University (USA), using a range of parameters for each scientist’s research contribution and influence, million scientists data from Scopus database were analysed. According to this study 971 Greek scientists are contained in the global top 2%, among which 130 researchers from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). 21 Professors from the School of Civil Engineering of NTUA are among the top 2% researchers in the world (5 within the top-ten of NTUA), while 6 of them from the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering, (5 within the top-eleven of the School of Civil Engineering). 

December 6th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Improved rights and better information for travellers, November 2023

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.  link

November 30th, 2023|Categories: Conferences, Knowledge, News|

Parkinson’s Disease and Driving Fitness: A Systematic Review of the Existing Guidelines, November 2023

A paper titled “Parkinson’s Disease and Driving Fitness: A Systematic Review of the Existing Guidelines” authored by Petros Stamatelos, Alexandra Economou,  George Yannis, Leonidas Stefanis and Sokratis G. Papageorgiou has been published in Movement Disorders. Results revealed that neurological aspects of driving fitness evaluation of PD patients are recognized in most of the guidelines. Furthermore, motor, neuropsychological, visual, and sleep assessment and medication review are key components for road safety. doi

November 26th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Cycling under the influence of alcohol and other drugs: An exploratory analysis, November 2023

A paper titled “Cycling under the influence of alcohol and other drugs: An exploratory analysis” authored by Zoi Christoforou, Maria Giannoulaki, Christos Gioldasis and George Yannis, has been published in Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. Results revealed that Cycling Under the Influence (CUI) of alcohol and other drugs is indeed a common practice among Parisian cyclists, although they declare to be aware of related risks, but rarely adapt their drinking/cycling behavior to avoid them, even when they have previous accident involvement record. doi

November 26th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Tunnels, November 2023

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 tunnels, as presented by the chair of the PIARC Technical Committee 4.4 “Road Tunnels”  Ingo Kaundinya. Throughout the year, PIARC focuses on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.  ppt5 video

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Impact of compliance for the reduction of sulphur oxide emissions in the shipping industry, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Impact of compliance for the reduction of sulphur oxide emissions in the shipping industry” was recently presented by Maria Konti. In order to achieve this, two case studies based on data taken from two existing bulk carriers were presented. The study indicates that options i) and iii) are accompanied by significant capital expenditures (CapEx), while the Scrubber option is shown to be the most cost-effective considering 5 and 10-year depreciation scenarios. Other important parameters such as the vessels’ age, the management companies’ cash flow and risk appetite, and the hire rates are shown to influence the results. pdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Analysis of traffic behaviour and road safety of delivery riders, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Analysis of traffic behaviour and road safety of delivery riders” was recently presented by Konstantinos Choumis.  To achieve this, a questionnaire was developed, and 200 food delivery drivers from all over Attica were asked to respond based on the stated preference method for various hypothetical scenarios involving changes in delivery time, crash risk reduction and profit loss per delivery. The results of the multinomial logistic regression model revealed that the variables influencing the food delivery drivers’ choices in hypothetical scenarios include: delivery time, crash risk reduction, profit loss, age of the driver, the number of fines received, and their opinion on stricter penalties as a measure to improve road safety. pdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Survey of analysis of the acceptance of reduced speed limits on Greek motorways from 130km/h, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Survey of analysis of the acceptance of reduced speed limits on Greek motorways from 130km/h” was recently presented by Christina Agourou. In order to achieve this, a questionnaire was created to collect data using the stated preference methodology, examining three different scenarios regarding speed limits. In conclusion, the participants, depending on their individual characteristics and beliefs, agree more or less about the criticality of the role of some variables, such as cost of fuel, journey time and estimation of the number of number of people injured or killed in motorway crashes. pdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Impact factors of children’s road safety in Europe, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Impact factors of children’s road safety in Europe” was recently presented by Alexia Georgiou. For this purpose, data from the European CARE database on the number of victims aged 0-14 in road crashes and the characteristics of these crashes were used. Linear regression models and negative binomial regression models were developed. These models led to the conclusion that the percentage of drivers who develop speeds higher than the permitted ones in residential areas and the percentage of drivers who transport children over 150cm tall without a seat belt significantly affect the number of victims aged 0-14. Regarding crash characteristics, good weather conditions are associated with an increase in the number of victims. pdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Investigation of the impact of eco driving on fuel consumption using smartphone data, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Investigation of the impact of eco driving on fuel consumption using smartphone data” was recently presented by Aimilia Triantafyllou. To achieve this objective, data collected from 15 drivers who participated in a naturalistic driving experiment for a period of six months are analyzed. The results demonstrated that by improving the participants’ driving style, a remarkable reduction in fuel consumption was observed; and smoother and more ecological driver behavior was achieved. pdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Investigation of eco driving benefits at the rural network using driving simulator, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Investigation of eco driving benefits at the rural network using driving simulator” was recently presented by Panagiota Kourenti. To achieve this objective, driving data from 39 participants were collected and the experimental procedure was carried out using a driving simulator. To complete the collection of the necessary data, the driving characteristics of the participants were collected through a questionnaire survey. The key conclusions of this thesis are that eco-driving reduces significantly emissions, fuel consumption and crash riskpdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Comparative Evaluation of Road Safety Performance of the European Union Countries, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Comparative Evaluation of Road Safety Performance of the European Union Countries” was recently presented by Panagiotis Konstantopoulos. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for road safety were exploited as collected in 2021-2022 within the Baseline project, together with data from Eurostat and EC CARE road crash databases. It was observed that an increase in the percentage of vehicles travelling within the speed limits on urban roads and of the percentage of seat belt use, as well as an increase in the proportion of new vehicles in the total fleet, are associated with a clear reduction in crash severity. pdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Comparative analysis of road safety performance in the Regions of Greece, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Comparative analysis of road safety performance in the Regions of Greece” was recently presented by Lydia Papagianni. For this purpose, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for road safety in Greece were collected and calculated for the year 2022 as part of the European Union’s Baseline project. It was found that as the KPI for the use of protective equipment, distraction from handheld devices, compliance with speed limits, the per capita GDP, and the number of hospital beds increase, the number of road fatalities per population decreases. Conversely, as the employment rate increases, the road fatalities also increase. pdf5 ppt5

November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

United Nations – World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, November 2023

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is observed on the third Sunday of November each year, launched in 1995 by the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) and since 2005 adopted by the United Nations and is dedicated to remembering the many millions killed or injured in road crashes and their families and communities, as well as to pay tribute to the dedicated emergency crews, police and medical professionals who daily deal with the traumatic aftermath of road death and injury. A book written by Jeannot Mersch and Briggite Chaudhry has been published for celebrating 30 years for the Day of Remembrance.   pdf5 video twitter

November 19th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Infrastructure, November 2023

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 infrastructure, as presented by the chair of PIARC Technical Committee 3.1 John Milton. Throughout the year, PIARC focuses on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.  ppt5 video

November 14th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Carnis & Mignot – La Vitesse: Enjeux contemporains et politiques publiques, November 2023

A new book titled “La Vitesse: Enjeux contemporains et politiques publiques” authored by Laurent Carnis and Dominique Mignot, was recently publishedSpeed is at the heart of  society as it continues to structure everyday behavior, expressing a form of modernity and reflecting the relationship with time and risk. Furthermore, speed is also a matter of public policy, with road safety and public health at stake, along the interactions between behavior, vehicles and infrastructure. These policies must ensure that the measures taken are acceptable and effective on the ground, requiring though strong commitments by decision-makers. 

November 9th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Road safety in the EU, October 2023

The European Commission published the latest figures on Road safety in the EU, showing that 20,640 people were killed in road crashes in 2022, a 4% increase in relation to 2021 as traffic levels recovered after the pandemic. While the underlying long-term trend is downward (-9% compared to pre-pandemic year), it is not decreasing at a fast enough pace to reach the EU target of halving the number of deaths by 2030.  Preliminary figures for the first six months of 2023 indicate the number of deaths on EU roads has fallen slightly, compared with the same period in 2022. 

October 23rd, 2023|Categories: Data, Knowledge, News|

Bolt – Engagement for Micromobility Safety, October 2023

Bolt micromobility operator is actively engaged to high level safety of its services and has recently published a Report introducing e-scooter safety and gaining a deeper insight into the world of safe Bolt e-scooter and e-bike rides.  Bolt is assisted by a Micromobility Safety Committee composed by renown urban safety experts, with the active contribution of NTUA, which provide advice, feedback and recommendations regarding micromobility safety performance, strategy, and future initiatives.   

October 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Boosting cycling across Europe, October 2023

The European Commission proposed a list of principles, in order to boost cycling across Europe. This proposal recognises cycling as a sustainable, accessible and inclusive, affordable and healthy means of transport, with strong added value for the EU economy. The Declaration should serve as a strategic compass for existing and future policies and initiatives related to cycling. The proposed principles will help the EU achieve its European Green DealSustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and Zero Pollution Action Plan objectives. link pdf5

October 12th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Ludin-Brown – Filtness – The Handbook of Fatigue Management in Transportation, September 2023

CRC Press has recently published a Handbook written by Christina Ludin-Brown and Ashleigh Filtness titled “Fatigue Management in Transportation”, which is designed as a comprehensive reference point, bringing together international expertise from leaders in fatigue science, and showcasing valuable insights from transportation industry practitioners. The 40 authored chapters of this handbook are divided into six sections, to better understand fatigue science, the consequences of fatigue in transportation, contributors to fatigue, managing fatigue and promoting alertness, real world case studies of fatigue management in practice, and future perspectives.   

September 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Global NGOs/IRF – New Guide to Empower Road Safety Data Coalitions in Africa, September 2023

The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety (the Alliance) and the International Road Federation (IRF), with the support of the TotalEnergies Foundation program, have recently released the LEARN Guide, a new resource of information and support to empower road safety advocates globally. This guide is structured in six straightforward steps and enables NGOs and other road safety stakeholders to set up their own LEARN coalitions, benefiting from the tools and learning experiences of existing ones.   pdf5  video 

September 15th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

iRAP – Google support Star Rating for Schools, September 2023

The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) program on Star Rating for Schools and AiRAP partnerships will be scaled up to provide 3-star or better journeys to school and address road traffic crashes that are the leading cause of death among children and young people worldwide with the support of  Google. By using artificial intelligence to identify high-risk 1- and 2-star roads that children use on their journey to school, potential hazards and mobilise evidence-based upgrades that will save children’s lives will be identified. 

September 12th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Real-Time Monitoring of Driver Distraction: State-of-the-art and future insights, August 2023

A paper titled “Real-Time Monitoring of Driver Distraction: State-of-the-art and future insights” authored by Eva Michelaraki, Chistos Katrakazas, Susanne Kaiser, Tom Brijs and George Yannis, has been published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. The aim of this research is to critically review and assess the state-of-the-art systems and platforms measuring driver distraction or inattention. The results indicated that real-time eye tracking systems, cardiac sensors on steering wheels, smartphone applications and cameras were the most frequent devices to monitor and detect driver distraction. On the other hand, less frequent and effective approaches included electrodes, hand magnetic rings and glasses. doi

 

August 31st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

COVID-19 and driving behavior: Which were the most crucial influencing factors, August 2023

A paper titled “COVID-19 and driving behavior: Which were the most crucial influencing factors” authored by Marios Sekadakis, Christos Katrakazas, Eva MichelarakiApostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis, has been published in Data Science for Transportation. Based on the collected data, XGBoost feature analysis algorithms were deployed to obtain the most significant factors. Results revealed that COVID-19 new cases and new fatalities were the most significant factors related to COVID-19 metrics impacting driving behavior. In addition, the correlation between driving behavior with other factors (i.e., distance traveled, mobile use, driving requests, and driving during risky hours) was revealed. Lastly, the differences and similarities of the harsh event rates between the two lockdown periods were identified. doi

August 29th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Global Alliance NGOs – Accountability Toolkit Launched, July 2023

The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety launched, with the active contribution of NTUA, an accountability toolkit, which is a set of practical, web-based tools. It offers tangible steps to equip NGOs to hold their governments accountable for the safety of all road users by reducing road deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030, in alignment with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 (Global Plan). The toolkit is a practical resource for NGOs and other civil society advocates and is underpinned by five Priority Interventions that have been proven to be among the most effective in reducing road deaths and injuries.

July 28th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Fuel price impact on driver harsh behaviour improvement in Greece, July 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Fuel price impact on driver harsh behaviour improvement in Greece” was recently presented by Panagiota Konstantakopoulou. It analyses the impact of fuel price on driver behaviour and explores how price changes can influence driving style, abruptness and speed. The research includes statistical data of fuel prices and driver behaviour for the years between 2019 and 2022.   The increase in fuel prices has led to a reduction in sudden acceleration/deceleration. It was observed that during periods of increased fuel price, drivers improved their driving style and were more attentive to the task of driving, performing fewer abrupt events. pdf5 ppt5

July 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Impact of road safety culture elements on road crash risk in Greece, July 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Impact of road safety culture elements on road crash risk in Greece” was recently presented by Nikolaos Veneris. In order to achieve this, data from the “Safe Culture” research regarding private car and motorcycle drivers in Athens and Rhodes were exploited. Subsequently, the answers from questions that serve the purposes of this thesis were picked and classified, in order to develop binary logistic regression models. Results indicate that drivers probably understand the importance of more intensive traffic enforcement as a means of traffic accident reduction, the development of a common road safety culture in the island of Rhodes in contrast to that of Athens and, last but not least, the importance of factors such as driving frequency, age and experience, on traffic accident probability.  pdf5 ppt5

July 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Correlation of crash risk with driver capacity in coping with driving tasks complexity using machine learning, July 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Correlation of crash risk with driver capacity in coping with driving tasks complexity using machine learning” was recently presented by Spyros Tsigkos. A large set of  driving data under real-life conditions in Great Britain was exploited and eight Structural Equation Models (SEM) were developed. It emerged that increasing the complexity of the trip increases the risk of a crash, while the deteriorated condition of the driver and the vehicle leads to increasing the crash risk. Male drivers have more high-severity abrupt incidents while driving compared to female drivers, which confirms the international literature.  pdf5 ppt5

July 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Economic assessment of free public transport in Athens, July 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Economic assessment of free public transport in Athens” was recently presented by Chrysavgi (Chrysa) Vagdatli. For this purpose, a social-economic analysis, in the context of a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), was conducted to assess the socio-economic impact of the FPT, up to the year 2030. In the framework of the CBA, four Scenarios for reduction of public transport tickets were examined. Consequently, a multinomial logistic model was developed to investigate for each of the three Scenarios the level preferring Athenians the FPT over private car, using data from a stated preference questionnaire survey. This social-economic analysis demonstrated that the introduction of FPT in Athens can contribute to social welfare mainly due to the modal shift from private cars to public transport.  pdf5 ppt5

July 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Specific Road Safety Issues in LMICs, July 2023

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published two Reports titled “Road Safety in LMICs: Identification and Analysis of specific Issues” in two parts Literature review and Illustrative Examples. The first part starts from the notion that road safety is a multifaceted problem which requires a multi-disciplinary approach. The safe system approach is generally considered as the central concept for this purpose and this starting point is also taken in this study. The second part is a follow up of an earlier literature review, in which were indicated which specific issues do need further attention in LMICs in the coming period up to 2030.  

July 12th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), July 2023

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 Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), as presented by the PIARC Technical Committee 3.1 member Lawrence Chauke. Throughout the year, PIARC will focus on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.  ppt5 video

July 6th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

The impact of cognition-affecting neurological diseases on reaction time and driving speed deviation, June 2023

A paper titled “The impact of cognition-affecting neurological diseases on reaction time and driving speed deviation” authored by Athina DiamantiApostolos 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.  doi

June 29th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – Sustainable transport, June 2023

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.  

June 29th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Data, June 2023

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.  ppt5 video

June 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

A Review of Surrogate Safety Measures Uses in Historical Crash Investigations, May 2023

A paper titled “A Review of Surrogate Safety Measures Uses in Historical Crash Investigations” authored by Dimitrios Nikolaou, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis, has been published in Sustainability. On that purpose, 34 studies were examined, providing insights on the different types of SSMs collected under real road environment conditions, the way they are collected, their connection with specific road crash types, and the type of the developed statistical models are examined and discussed. Particular focus is also placed on the temporal dimension of the collection period of both SSMs and road crashes. Based on the classification performance metrics of the developed models, it was found that the Random Forests classifier outperformed the other developed classifiers in terms of predicting crash risk levels of the considered motorway segments. doi

May 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Speed, May 2023

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 Speed, as presented by the PIARC Technical Committee 3.1 “Road Safety” member John Barrell. Throughout the year, PIARC will focus on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.   ppt5  video

May 6th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs: Focus on Vehicles, April 2023

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 the 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 Vehicles, as presented by the PIARC Task Force 2.1 President Ana Luz Jiménez Ortega. Throughout the year, PIARC will focus on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.  ppt5 video

April 26th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Driving behaviour in depression based on subjective evaluation and data from a driving simulator, April 2023

A paper titled “Driving behaviour in depression based on subjective evaluation and data from a driving simulator” authored by Vagioula Tsoutsi, Maria Papadakaki, George Yannis, Dimosthenis Pavlou, Maria Basta, Joannes Chliaoutakis and Dimitris Dikeos, has been published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The group of patients with depression did not differ from controls regarding driving behaviour as assessed through questionnaires; on the driving simulator, patients kept a longer safety distance. Results indicated that subjective fatigue was positively associated with aggression, dislike of driving, hazard monitoring and violations as assessed by questionnaires. It was revealed that, although certain symptoms of depression (insomnia, fatigue and somnolence) may affect driving performance, patients drive more carefully eliminating, thus, their impact. doi

April 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – The Use of Big Data for Road Condition Monitoring Report, April 2022

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a Report titled “The Use of Big Data for Road Condition Monitoring“. This work provides an overview of numerous big data sources and the data-processing methods that can be used to analyse data for road condition monitoring. It focuses on solutions that allow data to be collected quickly, in real time and repeatedly. Also included is a summary of several completed or ongoing projects that have utilised many of the big data sources described in this document.  

April 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

WHO – Advocating for emergency care a guide for nongovernmental organizations, February 2023

The World Health Oganisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety recently developed a guide that clearly defines the role that nongovernmental organizations can have in advocating on behalf of people who need emergency care, including those injured in road traffic crashes.  This guide is especially targeted towards nongovernmental organizations that operate with limited resources. While those affected by injuries and other health emergencies have a range of physical, psychological and legal needs, this publication is focused on advocacy for the time-sensitive health care that can save millions of lives every year.

April 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

ETSC – Call to make ABS brakes mandatory on motorcycles under 125cc, March 2023

Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) is calling for the European Union and European national governments to make Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) mandatory on all new motorcycles in a new report, titled Reducing Road Deaths among Powered Two Wheeler Users. This Report examines the state of motorcycling safety in Europe and revealed that 3,891 people died while riding a motorcycle or moped in the EU in 2021. That figure is 25% lower than a decade earlier but, over the same period, other road deaths fell by a third.  link pdf5

April 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

ETSC – Reducing Road Deaths among Powered Two Wheeler Users, 44th PIN Flash Report, March 2023

Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has published the 44th PIN Flash Report titled Reducing Road Deaths among Powered Two Wheeler Users. This Report examines the latest data on PTW user road deaths from across the EU and other countries that form part of ETSC’s Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) programme. It also looks at the at the main measures for reducing the risks to PTW users including training, licensing, infrastructure, technical inspections, the use of protective equipment and new technologies. link pdf5

March 31st, 2023|Categories: Data, Knowledge|

Analysis of the acceptance and cost benefit analysis of reducing the speed limit to 80 km/h on the interurban road network in Greece, March 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis called “Analysis of the acceptance and cost benefit analysis of reducing the speed limit to 80 km/h on the interurban road network in Greece” was recently presented by Konstantinos Makrydakis. For the purpose of this Diploma Thesis, a special questionnaire was developed and answered by 408 travellers, from different parts of Greece, based on the stated preference method for 10 hypothetical scenarios with variations of the variables travel time, fuel consumption and probability of road accident with serious injury. The analysis calculated the investment costs and the impacts on traffic, road safety and the environment expressed in monetary units and showed that the reduction of the speed limit to 80 km/h on the interurban road network in Greece is considered to be economically very positive for the society, with a positive economic Net Present Value (ENPV=€170.7 million) and a high ERR (ERR=39.1%).  pdf5 ppt5

March 28th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Investigating the influence of mobile phone use on driving behavior with Machine Learning analysis of imbalanced data, March 2023

A NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Investigating the influence of mobile phone use on driving behavior with Machine Learning analysis of imbalanced data” was recently presented by Konstantinos-Eirinaios Kaselouris. For classification and regression of mobile phone usage, telematics data from the OSeven telematics company were used as collected from naturalistic driving measurements. Mobile phone use was defined as an indicator of risky behaviour and classification was performed on two levels of driving behaviour (risky and not risky). Variables related to travel speed were found to be the most significant independent variables, while according to the classification evaluation metrics, the most appropriate model was considered to be that of ‘Linear Discriminant Analysis’. pdf5 ppt5

March 28th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

Analysis of seatbelt and helmet use characteristics in Greece, March 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis called “Analysis of seatbelt and helmet use characteristics in Greece” was recently presented by Nikolaos Lagonikakos. For the purpose of this Diploma Thesis, data were collected from field observations during November-December 2021 in Greece and are related to seatbelt and helmet use, driver’s age and gender, the type of vehicle, the weather conditions, the time period and the road type in three areas (Athens, Thessaloniki and Larisa). Regarding the statistical models of seatbelt and helmet use by drivers, the results demonstrated that female drivers are more likely to use their seatbelt compared to male drivers. With regard to age, middle-aged and elderly drivers present lower probabilities of using a seatbelt while driving, compared to young drivers. Moreover, in adverse weather conditions the probability of using a helmet is lower in comparison with good weather conditions. pdf5 ppt5

March 28th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

An Evaluation of the Passing Process through Road – Vehicle Parameters Assessment, March 2023

A paper titled “An Evaluation of the Passing Process through Road – Vehicle Parameters Assessment” authored by Stergios Mavromatis, Vassilios Matragos, Konstantinos Apostoleris, Fotios Fotos and George Yannis, has been published in European Transport Research Review. The methodology is based on a realistic representation of the passing task with respect to roadway’s posted speed and the ability of the passing (examined) vehicle to perform such maneuvers. The analysis revealed that the difference between the speed of the passed vehicle and the posted speed value, as well as certain interactions of the assessed parameters impact excessively passing sight distances (PSDs), especially for values below 20 km/h. The lognormal modelling approach for predicting PSDs was found efficient and may be useful to researchers and practitioners aiming to evaluate the interaction of the utilized road—vehicle parameters in terms of determining PSDs as well as passing zones. doi

March 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – Guidance on Member States for sustainable urban mobility planning, March 2023

The European Commission adopted a Recommendation designed to help Member States support their towns and cities in cutting transport emissions and improving urban mobility. The Commission recommends putting in place national programmes to support urban mobility planning and implementation, managed by a dedicated office. Support for cities should include guidance materials, training programmes and capacity building, as well as technical expertise and financial support. Peer learning and networking between cities and towns will be encouraged through the sharing of good practices and that will lead to reinforcement of road safety.

March 9th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

ITF – Shaping Post-Covid Mobility in Cities, February 2023

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published a new Report titled “Shaping Post-Covid Mobility in Cities“. This Report explores how urban mobility changed during the pandemic, focusing on changes in how people work, examining also implications on safety. Based on a review of international best practices, the report provides recommendations for better urban mobility in a post-Covid world. link pdf5

March 1st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

ETSC/PACTS – Recommendations on Safety of E-scooters, February 2023

Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) together with the UK Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) recently published a new Report titled “Recommendations on Safety of E-scooters“. The Report is in response to the rapid growth of e-scooter usage over the last five years and an associated increase in deaths and serious injuries. It takes into account a wide body of available data, hospital studies, vehicle safety testing and research from across Europe and beyond. link

March 1st, 2023|Categories: Data, Knowledge|

Texting while driving: a literature review on driving simulator studies, February 2023

A paper titled “Texting while driving: a literature review on driving simulator studies” authored by Gheorghe-Daniel VoineaRazvan BobocIoana-Diana BuzduganCsaba Antonya and George Yannis, has been published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The main findings revealed that texting while driving has negative effects on driving performance, affecting drivers’ divided attention and concentration, which can lead to potentially life-threatening traffic events. This review can serve as a basis for regulators and interested parties to propose restrictions related to using mobile phones in a vehicle and improve road safetydoi

February 21st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs, February 2023

The World Road Association – PIARC launched an ambitious PIARC Knowledge Exchange project aiming at sharing knowledge about road safety, with the active contribution of NTUA and AIT, especially within the Low and Middle Income Countries with limited resources but also in more developed economies with different needs and priorities. The general theme of this month refers to Boosting Road Safety, as presented by the Secretary General Patrick Mallejacq. Throughout the year, PIARC will focus on the Safe System approach, addressing safe roads and roadsides, safe road users, safe vehicles and safe speeds.  video

February 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

iRAP – iRAP Safety Insights Explorer, 2023

iRAP with the suport of FIA Foundation and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has created the iRAP Safety insights Explorer, which can shine a light on the true scale road crashes, the safety of the world’s roads, and the positive impact that can be made with investment. With the iRAP Safety Insights Explorer you can explore: Estimates of the numbers and types of injuries that occur for every country by age and sex, star Ratings and key design attributes for more than 502,000km of roads in 84 countries, the business case for investing in safer roads, including the life-saving impact of ensuring that most travel occurs on roads rated 3-stars or better for everyone for every country. 

February 20th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

PIARC – Well-Prepared Projects, 2022

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a Report titled  “Well-Prepared Projects, A PIARC Collection of Case Studies“. This collection of case studies includes 17 cases from 10 different countries participating in this task force, plus one case dedicated to the use of the SOURCE platform in the preparation of transportation projects. The objective of this collection is to provide a variety of highly relevant examples from the real life. Each case outlines good practices in place in a country with a focus on a particular aspect of the project preparation.

February 13th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Documents Relevant to Road Infrastracture and Transportation Security, 2022

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a Report titled “Documents Relevant to Road Infrastracture and Transportation Security“. This Literature Review is the first step in the development of a full technical Report on road infrastructure and transport security. The document contains a review of literature on road infrastructure and transport security. The review focuses on the following topics: Legislations and policies, Standards, Studies and researches, PIARC reports, Other reports, Manuals and books, Case studies and best practices, Events and situations. It is also completed with conclusions and recommendations, a glossary and appendices.

February 10th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Good Practices in Maintenance and Traffic Operation of Heavily Trafficked Urban Road Tunnels Report, 2022

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a Report titled “Good Practices in Maintenance and Traffic Operation of Heavily Trafficked Urban Road Tunnels“. This Report makes amends in detailing the challenges and inherent good practices for maintenance and operation from traffic management, to design and renovation. It was cowritten by a panel of designers, owners, operators, policy makers in the field of tunnels, from around the world taking inspiration from previous PIARC Case Studies.

February 10th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – EU Road Safety: Towards “Vision Zero”, 2022

A new publication titled EU Road Safety: Towards “Vision Zero” has been recently published by the European Commission. This publication presents a comprehensive overview of projects managed by CINEA and funded under Horizon 2020-the EU’s R&I programme that develop, test and exploit innovative solutions for a safer road transport. This document calls for a new approach to safe mobility to be achieved by 2030: one rooted in safety as a core value, and not one in which safety may come second to factors such as cost, speed, aesthetics, or profits. It draws on work done in the past few years by the H2020 funded projects.   pdf5

January 19th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

ITF – Improving motorcyclist safety: Priority actions for Safe System integration, December 2022

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published a new Policy Brief titled Improving motorcyclist safety: Priority actions for Safe System integration. This Brief summarizes the current extent of PTW usage worldwide, highlights pressing safety issues for motorcyclists and presents priority actions for improving motorcycling safety. It results from a series of virtual workshops on motorcyclist safety held in 2021 and co-hosted by the ITF and key roadsafety partners. link pdf5

January 19th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

IRTAD – Road Safety Annual Report, 2022

The International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) of the International Transport Forum(ITF/OECD) published the Road Safety Annual Report 2022 focusing on the development of road safety in the year 2021, the first year of the Second Decade of Action. The analysis draws on road safety data from 34 IRTAD member countries. It outlines short‑term trends for the year 2021 and long‑term trends for the period 2010‑19. The Report also presents provisional data on road deaths for the first semester of 2022 (January to June).  pdf5

January 9th, 2023|Categories: Knowledge|

ETSC – Progress in Reducing Drink-driving and other Alcohol-related Road Deaths in Europe, December 2022

Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has recently published a new Report titled “Progress in Reducing Drink-driving and other Alcohol-related Road Deaths in Europe“. This Report aims to provide an updated overview of the drink-driving situation in Europe, covering 30 countries: 25 Member States of the European Union together with the United Kingdom, Israel, Norway, the Republic of Serbia and Switzerland. It looks at country-by-country progress in reducing road deaths attributed to drink-driving over the past decade.  A range of recommendations for further tackling drink-driving are included for national governments and the EU institutions throughout this Report. link pdf5

December 30th, 2022|Categories: Data, Knowledge|

The transformation of the insurance industry and road safety by driver safety behaviour telematics, December 2022

A paper titled “The transformation of the insurance industry and road safety by driver safety behaviour telematics” authored by Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Virginia Petraki, Armira Kontaxi and  George Yannis, has been published in Case Studies on Transport Policy. The aim of the present research is to expand on the aforementioned topics based on trends from recently published research and discuss the transformation of the insurance industry by driver safety behaviour telematics. An overview of the relevant technological advancements is provided, followed by the integration practices of telematics adopted by the insurance industry.  doi

December 12th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

One year of COVID-19: Impacts on safe driving behavior and policy recommendations, October 2022

A paper titled “One year of COVID-19: Impacts on safe driving behavior and policy recommendations” authored by Eva Michelaraki, Marios Sekadakis, Christos Katrakazas, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and  George Yannis, has been published in Journal of Safety Research. This study presented a descriptive overview of several driving behavior indicators as well as road crash data in correlation with the strictness of response measures in Greece and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results indicated that during the lockdown periods, speeds were increased by up to 6%, while harsh events were increased by about 35% in the two countries, compared to the period after the confinement. However, the imposition of another lockdown did not cause radical changes in Greek driving behavior during the late months of 2020.  doi

December 1st, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

ETSC – Education in Reducing Deaths among Children and Youngsters, November 2022

Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has published the 2nd LEARN Flash Report titled “The Role of Education in Reducing Deaths among Children and Youngsters on European Roads“. This Report provides an overview of the road safety of children and youngsters across Europe. It focuses on the progress in reducing road deaths during the past decade (2011-2021) as well as differences in road safety between the different countries, age groups as well as genders. It also provides recommendations to improve the provision and quality of traffic safety and mobility education. link pdf5

November 21st, 2022|Categories: Data, Knowledge|

Impact analysis of gasoline price on traffic conditions in Athens, November 2022

An NTUA Diploma Thesis called “Impact analysis of gasoline price on traffic conditions in Athens” was recently presented by Stylianos Peithis. For the purpose of this Diploma Thesis, data concerning traffic conditions, gasoline prices and a wide variety of traffic shaping factors such as weather data was collected. In order to accomplish this thesis’ objective Linear Mixed Effects models with random effect intercept were deployed using as independent variables various metrics with explanative power about traffic volume’s fluctuations. The results showed that the rise of gasoline prices has a negative impact on traffic volume while the impact of other factors such as weather conditions like temperature and rainfall are also substantial. Schools’ vacations, weekends and public holidays also have a decreasing impact in traffic conditions. pdf5 ppt5

November 11th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Imbalanced learning analysis for driving behaviour prediction using naturalistic driving data, November 2022

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Imbalanced learning analysis for driving behaviour prediction using naturalistic driving data” was recently presented by Antonis Kostopoulos. For the purpose of this Diploma Thesis data was collected through the telematics company OSeven, in order to classify and predict driving behaviour in terms of harsh accelerations and brakings occurences. More precisely this thesis intends to determine the most crucial predictors for the occurrence of harsh events, through a feature selection process and to identify two safety levels for harsh accelerations and brakings using Machine Learning techniques. The imbalanced classification results showcased that the total driving distance was the more impactful variable to harsh events occurence, whilst the best techniques for this particular imbalanced learning process, were achieved by Gradient Boosting and Multilayered Perceptrons algorithms. pdf5 ppt5

November 11th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Analysis of distraction characteristics due to mobile phone use in Greece, October 2022

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Analysis of distraction characteristics due to mobile phone use in Greece” was recently presented by Marilena Merakou. The data used for the statistical analysis were collected from field measurements during November-December 2021 in Greece. The collected data are related to distraction measurements but also to driver’s age and gender, the type of vehicle, the weather conditions, the time period and the road type in three areas (in and around Athens, Thessaloniki and Larisa). The results demonstrate that old and middle aged drivers are less likely to use mobile phone while driving than younger drivers. It was also found, that van drivers tend to use mobile phone more often than drivers of any other vehicle type. pdf5 ppt5

November 11th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Utilizing Data to Optimize Road Network Operations Report, 2022

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a Report titled “Utilizing Data to Optimize Road Network Operations“. This work builds on the “Big Data for Road Network Operations” report from the 2016-2019 PIARC work cycle by providing current, real world examples of current application of big data concepts. The case studies included in this Report represent the current state of practice and highlight the progress being made by road network operators to utilize the growing amount of data available for road network operations. 

November 8th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

VINCI Autoroutes – Sharing the Road: Europeans and responsible driving 2022 Edition, October 2022

The Fondation VINCI Autoroutes has recently published the results of a unique study on “Sharing the road”. This Ipsos survey offers an overview of the behaviour of Europeans dealing with the coexistence of different modes of transport. This includes drivers of cars and motorised two-wheelers, cyclists, users of personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs) and pedestrians. According to the results, Greece has the highest rate of drivers (77%) who use the phone while driving in Europe (EU average 66%). 89% of Greek cyclists are afraid of other road users’ behaviour and 58% of them wear helmet when cycling. Moreover, 98% of Greek motorised two-wheelers fear the behaviour of other road users. On the other hand, 26% of Greek drivers open the door without checking if a cyclist is coming, whereas the European average is 36%.   pdf5

November 4th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Digitalisation for Sustainable Infrastructure : The Road Ahead, October 2022

A new book titled “Digitalisation for Sustainable Infrastructure : The Road Ahead” has been published on October 2022, highlighting the importance of technology and digitalisation and the tremendous impact they have on infrastructure worldwide. This book was edited by Carlo Secchi and Alessandro Gili and was published by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI).  NTUA Associate Professor George Yannis and Research Associate Apostolos Ziakopoulos actively contributed with the following chapters :

November 2nd, 2022|Categories: Knowledge, Uncategorized|

Global NCAP Fleet Safety Guide 2022

The Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) has recently developed the Fleet Safety Guide 2022 , under the title “Global NCAP Fleet Safety Guide And Safer Vehicle Purchasing Policy”. Ensuring safer fleet purchasing decisions will not only help safeguard the safety of their staff, but also help accelerate the global uptake of safe vehicles and contribute to the United Nations (UN) Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 target to achieve at least a 50% reduction in road fatalities and injuries by 2030. This important guide provides recommendations on vehicle selection using NCAP ‘five star’ ratings and identifies the most important UN safety standards for passenger cars. Importantly, it also now includes recommendations for commercial vehicle categories and motorcycles.  pdf5

November 1st, 2022|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Investigating the Temporal Evolution of Driving Safety Efficiency Using Data Collected from Smartphone Sensors, May 2021

A paper titled “Investigating the Temporal Evolution of Driving Safety Efficiency Using Data Collected from Smartphone Sensors” authored by Dimitrios Tselentis, Eleni Vlahogianni and George Yannis, has been published in Accident Analysis and Prevention. Initial data analysis results to the most critical components of microscopic driving behaviour, which are used as inputs in the k-means algorithm to perform the clustering analysis. The main driving characteristics of each cluster are identified and lead to the conclusion that there are three main driving groups of the a) moderate drivers, b) unstable drivers and c) cautious drivers. doi

October 31st, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

ITF/OECD – Monitoring Progress in Urban Road Safety, October 2022

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has published a new Report titled Monitoring Progress in Urban Road Safety: 2022 Update. This Report tracks the progress in reducing the number of road traffic fatalities and serious injuries in cities between 2010 and 2020. It is a unique combination of traffic safety data collected in 32 cities participating in the ITF Safer City Streets network and compares trends in urban and national road safety. link pdf5

October 17th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

The role of values in road safety culture: Examining the relationship between valuation of freedom to take risk and accident risk among motorcycle riders and car drivers, August 2022

A paper titled “The role of values in road safety culture: Examining the relationship between valuation of freedom to take risk and accident risk among motorcycle riders and car drivers” authored by Tor-Olav Naevestad, Alexandra Laiou and George Yannis, has been published in Traffic Safety Research. The present study was based on survey data from car drivers and motorcycle riders from two countries with distinctly different road safety records: Norway and Greece. The results indicated that values focusing on freedom to take risk have an important role in road safety culture, presumably legitimizing and motivating risky driving/riding. doi

October 5th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – State of the Art in Road Design Standards, 2022

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a Report titled “State of the Art in Road Design Standards“. The document aims to identify similarities and differences between the approaches adopted in different countries and evaluates the possible need of their adaptation to the requirements of a rapidly changing world in the field of road transport systems: new technologies, changes in mobility modes (new propulsion techniques, new personal transport mode, and connected and autonomous driving) and availability of multiple diffused data sources. 

 

October 4th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

ETSC – Reducing Child Deaths on European Roads 43rd PIN Flash Report, September 2022

Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has published the 43rd PIN Flash Report titled Reducing Child Deaths on European Roads. This report examines the latest data on child road deaths from across the EU and other countries that form part of ETSC’s Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) programme. It also looks at the main measures for reducing the risks to children including mobility policies and improved infrastructure, child restraint systems, vehicle safety, helmet use, pre-hospital care and licensing of young drivers who, in some countries, are able to ride a moped or scooter at the age of 14. link pdf5

September 26th, 2022|Categories: Data, Knowledge|

Evaluating Good Practices for the promotion of Electromobility using Multi Criteria Analysis Methods, September 2022

A paper titled “Evaluating Good Practices for the promotion of Electromobility using Mul-ti Criteria Analysis Methods” authored by Athanasios Zirganos, Foteini OrfanouEleni I. Vlahogianni and  George Yannis, is published in Case Studies on Transport Policy. For the purpose of this work , 20 Good Practices implemented in 9 European Regions aiming at diffusing electromobility were selected for applying the proposed methodology. The results showed that practices offering significant environmental benefits and improved energy systems, received higher scores than those contributing in raising public awareness or proving an advantage of electric vehicles over the conventional ones.  doi

September 22nd, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Risk factors linked with elderly, truck and office worker drivers: a literature review in light of automated driving, June 2022

A paper titled “Risk factors linked with elderly, truck and office worker drivers: a literature review in light of automated driving” authored by Marios Sekadakis, Christos Katrakazas, Peter Mörtl, Erika Santuccio and George Yannis, has been published in Advances in Transportation Studies. This study tries to identify and review risk factors that impact road safety and driving performance focusing more on three types of users, namely elderly drivers, truck operators, and office workers. The literature review was conducted using popular databases such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus using specific search terms and prioritization criteria for studies coming mainly from Europe and the U.S, and after 2005. The aforementioned review will be exploited by the HADRIAN project, like any other HMI stakeholder, in order to develop a human-centered assessment methodology that will evaluate the way the human interacts with potential HMI configurations. Finally, the reviewed risk factors could guide stakeholders in accomplishing a safer transition from manual to autonomous driving for all road users. doi

September 21st, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Investigation of traffic and safety behavior of pedestrians while talking on mobile phone, June 2022

A paper titled “Investigation of traffic and safety behavior of pedestrians while talking on mobile phone” authored by Dimitra Typa, Dimitris Nikolaou and George Yannis, has been published in Advances in Transportation Studies. This study aims to investigate how hand-held cell phone conversation affects the behavior of pedestrians at signalized intersections in terms of both safety and traffic. In order to compare the behavior of distracted and non-distracted pedestrians, an outdoor environment experiment was carried out in real road conditions. Various demographic and behavioral characteristics were recorded, including mobile phone use. Initially, multiple linear regression models were developed in order to identify how cell phone use affects pedestrians’ speed. The results of the developed statistical models showed that pedestrians’ main traffic and safety characteristics were negatively impacted by distraction from hand-held cell phone conversation, as mobile phone use not only reduces pedestrians’ speed but also increases the likelihood that they will be involved in a collision with an approaching vehicle. doi

September 21st, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Driving Behaviour and its correlation with COVID-19 response measures: A neural network forecasting analysis, October 2022

A paper titled “Driving Behaviour and its correlation with COVID-19 response measures: A neural network forecasting analysis” authored by Marios Sekadakis, Christos Katrakazas, Eva Michelaraki and  George Yannis, is published in Journal of Transportation Engineering. The NNAR modeling results showed that with higher stringency index, mobile use and driving speed tend to increase, whereas speeding duration demonstrates higher peaks. Interestingly, with stricter response measures, lower values were forecasted for speeding. According to the modeling outcomes, there is a direct effect of the COVID-19 response measures on driving behavior.  doi

September 21st, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

A state-of-practice Review on Crash Occurrence Analysis and Hazardous Location Identification, June 2022

A paper titled “A state-of-practice Review on Crash Occurrence Analysis and Hazardous Location Identification” authored by Paola Tiberi, Antonino Tripodi, Anastasios Dragomanovits, Katerina Deliali and  George Yannis, has been published in Advances in Transportation Studies. This study provided a state-of-practice review of the international literature on methods and applied practices for the identification of hazardous locations based on crash occurrence analysis. The analysis identified and summarized differences and similarities in the various methods and applied practices. Overall, this review is useful for practitioners so that they can identify potential ways of improving their applied crash occurrence methodology, while it will also inform researchers on paths for future research in the field of crash and safety analysis.  doi

September 21st, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Cost benefit and acceptance analysis of reducing speed limits in Athens to 30km/h, July 2022

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Cost benefit and acceptance analysis of reducing speed limits in Athens to 30km/h” was recently presented by Stella Roussou. This Diploma modeled Athenians preferences on speed limit reduction and performed the respective socio-economic cost benefit analysis (CBA) of the reduction of crashes and respective casualties, the costs incurred due to the increase in travel time and the benefit from reducing fuel consumption and environmental impact (CO2, NOx, PM emissions). The CBA revealed that the 30km/h speed limit is deemed economically highly viable and worth of implementing. pdf5 ppt5

September 19th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

Critical factors of pedestrians self-declared behaviour and safety in Greece, July 2022

An NTUA Diploma Thesis called “Critical factors of pedestrians self-declared behaviour and safety in Greece” was recently presented by Alexandros Ntontis. For the purpose of this Diploma Thesis, two binary logistic regression models and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) were developed, using data from the second edition of the ESRA survey. The results showed 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. pdf5 ppt5

September 19th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

World Bank/GRSF – Motorization Management for Development Report, May 2022

The World Bank Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) has published a Knowledge Report titled Motorization Management for Development: An Integrated Approach to Improving Vehicles for Sustainable Mobility. This Report presents the World Bank’s Motorization Management (MM) framework, which is intended to support client countries in the development of policies and measures aimed at managing vehicle stocks in a proactive, phased, and systematic manner to make them safer, cleaner, and more fuel efficient. The MM framework reflects a series of policy considerations and programs that can be implemented to improve the quality of fuels and vehicles in a country’s stock.  pdf5

September 5th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

CAREC/ADB – Road Safety Engineering Manual 5: Star Ratings for Road Safety Audit, June 2022

CAREC and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have recently co-published a Road Safety Engineering Manual titled “Star Ratings for Road Safety Audit“. This system, Star Ratings for Road Safety Audits, will help policy makers and practitioners involved in designing, upgrading, and rehabilitating roads to meet safety targets and reduce injuries from traffic accidentslink pdf5

August 26th, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|

ERTRAC – Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility Roadmap, February 2022

The European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) published the Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility Roadmap, as part of the ERTRAC Roadmaps. According to the Report, in 2050, vehicles will have 100% real-time connectivity on the relevant road network and the transport management system will have the appropriate quality of service level, also for remote operation. All newly registered vehicles will have automation but in different levels.  link  pdf5 

August 23rd, 2022|Categories: Knowledge|