ERF – European Road Statistics 2024

The European Union Road Federation (ERF) has released the Road Statistics Yearbook 2024” with the active contribution of NTUA. As for many years, this publication provides the road community with important updated information on road transport sector and road infrastructure in Europe and beyond as an essential key element of the global mobility with one section focusing on road safety. 

October 10th, 2024|Categories: Data, Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Road safety in the EU, October 2024

The European Commission published the latest figures on Road safety in the EU, showing that 20,400 people were killed in road crashes in 2023, a 1% decrease in relation to 2022. While the underlying long-term trend is downward (-10% compared to 2019), the current pace of decline falls short of the required 4.5% annual reduction needed to achieve the EU’s goal of halving road deaths by 2030.  Preliminary figures for the first six months of 2024 indicate the number of deaths on EU roads has remained the same, compared with the same period in 2023. 

October 10th, 2024|Categories: Data, Knowledge, News|

Strengthening European Mobility Policy, October 2024

A new book titled “Governance Recommendations from Innovative Interdisciplinary Collaborations” authored by Imre KeserűSamyajit Basu, Marianne Ryghaug and Tomas Moe Skjølsvold has been recently published. This book supports the transformation towards a more sustainable mobility and logistics system through its interdisciplinary approach and by formulating concrete policy recommendations. NTUA actively contributed with the following chapter, co-authored by Virginia Petraki, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis:

October 10th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

ESRA3 – Young and aging drivers Thematic Report, October 2024

The Young and aging drivers Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report describes  the self-declared behaviours and perceived acceptability (social and personal) related to driving while impaired, speeding, and distraction, among young and aging drivers. Furthermore, it includes comparisons among the participating countries as well as results in relation to age and gender.  pdf5

October 10th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

ESRA3 – Speeding Thematic Report, October 2024

The Speeding Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report describes the self-declared behaviour, acceptability, attitudes and support for policy measures regarding speeding. Factors associated with speeding per area and road type are also analysed. Furthermore, it includes comparisons among the participating countries as well as results in relation to age and gender.  pdf5

October 10th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

ESRA3 – Infrastructure Thematic Report, October 2024

The Infrastructure Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report describes the use and the safety perception of infrastructure among different road users, including car drivers, moped riders and motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians. Furthermore, it includes comparisons among the participating countries as well as results in relation to age and gender.  pdf5

October 10th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Recommendations for the Commission’s mid-term review of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030, July 2024

The Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM)  of the European Commission has recently delivered a set of Recommendations for the Commission’s mid-term review of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030. More precisely, these recommendations focus on active mobility and road safety for Vulnerable Road Users. Furthermore, definitions and initial statements, as well as a set of recommendations for people who walk, cycle and use light electric vehicles, micromobility devices and powered two-wheelers, are being provided. pdf5

October 8th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – Promoting Vulnerable Road Users Safety, September 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of  NTUA,  SWOV and KFV has launched a Vulnerable Road Users promotion activity focusing on children, cyclists, pedestrians and Powered Two-Wheelers (mopeds and motorcycles). According to the new Reports from the European Road Safety Observatorythe high vulnerability of non-motorised road users in urban areas is highlighted, with a disproportionately high number of fatalities in these areas for children (46% of total fatalities) and pedestrians (73%), compared to the average for all road users (38%). Recommendations to reduce fatalities among vulnerable users, including infrastructure improvements, protective equipment and vehicle design are also provided. link pdf5 pdf5 pdf5 

October 8th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Eva Michelaraki PhD – Improving Driver Safety Tolerance Zone, October 2024

Eva Michelaraki has successfully defended her PhD dissertation titled: Improving driver safety tolerance zone through holistic analysis of road, vehicle and behavioural risk factors, under the supervision of NTUA Prof. George Yannis. Data from 190 drivers who participated in a large on-road and simulator driving experiment were exploited. An innovative methodology, consisting of both statistical analyses (Generalized Linear Models, Structural Equation Models) and machine learning techniques (Decision Trees, k-Nearest Neighbors, Neural Networks and Random Forests) was implemented. Results indicated that RF models outperformed the DT and kNN models across all metrics, making them the most effective for predicting speeding and headway, with overall accuracy up to 90%. It was also revealed that task complexity was positively correlated with riskwhile coping capacity was negatively correlated with risk, indicating that drivers with higher coping capacity are better equipped to handle challenging driving situations. pdf5 ppt5

October 7th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Detection of dangerous driving behaviour with wide-scale data from smart systems and machine learning techniques, November 2024

A paper titled “Detection of dangerous driving behaviour with wide-scale data from smart systems and machine learning techniques” authored by Hector KamvoussiorasThodoris GarefalakisEva MichelarakiChristos Katrakazas and George Yannis has been published in Advances in Transportation Studies. Specifically, four classification models: Ridge Classifier (RC), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forests (RF), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) – were developed. These models were utilized to categorize driving behaviour into three defined levels of “Safety Tolerance Zone (STZ)”. The results revealed that the RF and XGBoost models achieved high accuracy, reaching 95% in prediction accuracy. By identifying the factors that influence risky driving behaviour, this framework offers valuable insights for guiding safety interventions , ultimately contributing to enhanced road safety. doi

September 25th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Modeling and Sustainability Implications of Harsh Driving Events: A Predictive Machine Learning Approach, July 2024

A paper titled “Modeling and Sustainability Implications of Harsh Driving Events: A Predictive Machine Learning Approach” authored by Antonis Kostopoulos, Thodoris Garefalakis, Eva Michelaraki, Christos Katrakazas and George Yannis has been published in Sustainability. This study addresses the complex task of predicting dangerous driving behaviors through a comprehensive analysis of over 356,000 trips, enhancing existing knowledge in the field and promoting sustainability and road safety. Findings indicate that Gradient Boosting and Multilayer Perceptron excel, achieving recall rates of approximately 67% to 68% for both harsh acceleration and braking events. The application of machine learning algorithms, feature selection, and k-means clustering offers a promising approach for improving road safety and reducing socio-economic costs through sustainable practices. doi

September 13th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Analysis of harsh braking and harsh acceleration occurrence via explainable imbalanced machine learning using high-resolution smartphone telematics and traffic data, August 2024

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

August 26th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

WHO – Road traffic deaths rise in Africa contrary to the global trend, July 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published the 2023 Status Report on Road Safety for the Africa Region. According to this Report, road traffic death rates during the period 2010-2021 have increased significantly in the African region, with 17% increase in road-related fatalities, despite being home to only 15% of the world’s population, and 3% of its vehicles. Conversely, global rates fell by 5% during the same period. WHO recommends concerted efforts to implement a range of interventions, in order to strengthen national road safety strategies in Africa.  pdf5

July 31st, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

ESRA3 – Moped Riders & Motorcyclists Thematic Report, July 2024

The Moped Riders & Motorcyclists Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report describes the frequency of riding a moped or a motorcycle, the use of infrastructure, the road crash involvement, the acceptability of unsafe traffic behaviour, the safety perception of using moped and motorcycle, the rates of self-declared behaviour and factors associated with risky riding behaviours. Furthermore, it includes comparisons among the participating countries as well as results in relation to age and gender.  pdf5

July 30th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Traffic Law Enforcement Thematic Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Traffic Law Enforcement (TLE) Thematic Report which can be defined as the entire penal procedure designed to persuade road users to obey traffic laws and regulations through threat of detection of violation and the imposition of a penalty. This Thematic Report describes the working mechanisms of TLE in Europe, as well as how effective are for road safety the enforcement of speeding, red light running, drug-impaired driving, drink-driving, mobile phone use and seat belt use. Moreover, enforcement support measures such as legislation, sanction types, data-driven enforcement operations and public communication are suggested. link pdf5

July 30th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

ESRA3 – E-Scooter Riders Thematic Report, July 2024

The E-Scooter Riders Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report provides an in-depth examination of road safety issues associated with E-Scooter (electric-kick style scooter), including an extensive analysis of self-declared unsafe behaviours in traffic, the utilization frequency of e-scooters, and the incidence of involvement in road crashes among e-scooter riders. Moreover, the Report investigates determinants that may elevate the risk of crash involvement for e-scooter riders, offering a detailed perspective on the complexities of e-scooter road safety.  pdf5

July 26th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Pedestrians Thematic Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Pedestrians Thematic Report which refers to the safety of vulnerable road users that suffer the most severe consequences in collisions with other road users. This Thematic Report describes how pedestrians participate in traffic, as well as pedestrians in relation to road safety hazards. Furthermore, countermeasures about land use planning, road design, visibility, vehicle design of crash opponents, education, training and enforcement are suggested. link pdf5

July 26th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Urban Areas Facts and Figures Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Urban Areas Facts and Figures Report which refers to public roads inside urban boundary signs. According to this Report, the number of fatalities on urban roads decreased by 22%, which is similar to the 21% decrease on other roads (rural roads and motorways). Furthermore, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, mopeds, motorcycles) make up 68% of fatalities on urban roads, while pedestrians are involved in 33% of all fatalities. link pdf5

July 25th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Rural Areas Facts and Figures Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Rural Areas Facts and Figures Report which refers to public roads outside urban boundary signs, excluding motorways. In 2022, 53% of all road fatalities in the EU27 occurred on rural roads. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of fatalities on rural roads decreased by 24%, compared to 18% decrease on urban roads and motorways. Remarkable is that car occupants make up more than half (56%) of all fatalities on rural roads. link pdf5

July 25th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

ESRA3 – Subjective Safety & Risk Perception Thematic Report, July 2024

The Subjective Safety & Risk Perception Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report describes the perceived levels of safety when using different transport modes and the assessment of various risk factors in traffic (e.g. alcohol, speed, fatigue) regarding their contribution to crashes. Furthermore, it includes comparisons amongst the participating countries, as well as results in relation to age and gender.  pdf5

July 25th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Factors Influencing Bus Lane Violations in Athens, July 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Factors Influencing Bus Lane Violations in Athens” was recently presented by Ilias Amerikanos. For this purpose, data collected from on-site measurements using visual observation on the roads of Athens were analyzed. The measurements were conducted in the year 2021 and 2023. The analyses revealed that the critical factors influencing bus lane violations include the number of lanes, the length of the road, the type of vehicles, the time of day, and the direction in which the vehicles are travelingpdf5 ppt5

July 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

The effect of fatigue on driver behavior in rural environment using driver simulator, July 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “The effect of fatigue on driver behavior in rural environment using driver simulator” was recently presented by Georgios Tziouvaras. To achieve this objective, a driving simulator experiment was carried out and data from 35 participants were collected. Linear and binomial logistic regression models were developed. Results indicated that fatigue driving increases the average speed and reaction time of drivers, reduces their distance from the vehicle ahead and increases crash probability. It was also revealed that under conditions of high traffic load, lower average driver speeds, reduced reaction times and increased crash probability were observed. pdf5 ppt5

 

July 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Correlation between fatigue and driver behavior in urban and highway environments using simulator, July 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Correlation between fatigue and driver behavior in urban and highway environments using simulator” was recently presented by Ioannis Paschalidis. To achieve this goal, an experimental procedure was conducted using a driving simulator, which collected driving data from 35 participants. In addition, a questionnaire survey was used to determine the participants’ personal characteristics. Results indicate that driving while fatigued increases drivers’ average speed and reaction time, decreases their distance from lead vehicles, and decreases their acceleration. Furthermore, milder symptoms of fatigue while driving are linked to shorter distances from the leading vehicle, compared to more severe symptoms, while also inducing an increase in acceleration. pdf5 ppt5

July 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Spatial analysis of road crashes in the municipalities of Greece, July 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Spatial analysis of road crashes in the municipalities of Greece” was recently presented by Dimitris Andreikos. To achieve this, population, social, economic and transportation data were collected, and its influence on the number of road fatalities were examined. The application and evaluation of the models showed that the most important factors that influence the number of road fatalities are the possession of private vehicles and the Gross Domestic Product. Private vehicle possession correlates positively with the number of road fatalities, as the increase in vehicles leads to an increased exposure to danger, while GDP correlates negatively, as its increase is linked to better life quality and improved road safety measures. pdf5 ppt5

July 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Impact factors of Greek drivers self-reported traffic violations, July 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Impact factors of Greek drivers self-reported traffic violations” was recently presented by Alexandros Kitsios. To fulfill this object, six Binary Logistic Regression models and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) were developed using data from the second edition of the E-Survey of Road users’ Attitudes (ESRA). The covariance between the dependent variables of driving with alcohol consumption above the legal limit, driving on a highway, but also inside and outside a residential area at a speed above the legal limit, and using a mobile phone without a headset and to access social networks while driving, is positive and statistically significant revealing that drivers who engage, more frequently, in one of these risky behaviors are more likely to also engage in any of the others in combinationpdf5 ppt5

July 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – Junctions Facts and Figures Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Junctions Facts and Figures Report which refers to road fatalities at junctions, which are locations where two or more roads meet and traffic can change between different routes, directions, or sometimes modes of travel. According to this report, 18% of all road fatalities in the EU27 occurred at junctions and road fatalities at junctions in the EU have decreased by 10% since 2019. Moreover, 57% of junction fatalities in the EU27 occur on urban roads. Remarkable is that vulnerable road users are being involved in more than half of all fatalities at junctions (63%). link pdf5

July 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Car Occupants Facts and Figures Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory the Car Occupants Facts and Figures Report which refers to car drivers as well as car passengers (front or rear seat). According to this report, the total number of car occupant fatalities in the EU27 has decreased by 9% since 2019 and 45% of all road fatalities in the EU27 in 2022 were car occupants. Furthermore, 82% of fatally injured car drivers are men, with the highest rates in single vehicle crashes being recorded for the age group 20 to 24 years old. Remarkable is that two thirds of car occupant fatalities in the EU occurred on rural roads. link pdf5

July 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Main Figures Facts and Figures Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Main Figures Facts and Figures Report which examines road fatalities on European roads. According to this Report, there has been a 9% decrease in road fatalities for the EU27 between 2019 and 2022, with far more males than females being killed in road crashes. Moreover, 47% of total road fatalities are vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders and motorcyclists) and over a half of road fatalities occur on rural roads (53%). On urban roads, the share of killed pedestrians is highest with 33%. link pdf5

July 15th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Light Goods Vehicles Facts and Figures Report, July 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs) Facts and Figures Report which refers to lorries under 3.5 tonnes. The development of the number of fatalities in LGV crashes throughout the years varies across European countries, with Northern and Central European countries having a lower share of fatalities in LGV crashes in the total number of road fatalities than countries in Southern and Southeastern Europe. Furthermore, LGV crash fatalities display a different distribution during the week compared to all road crash fatalities, but show some similarities compared to HGV crash fatalities. link pdf5

July 15th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

ESRA3 – Distraction & Fatigue Thematic Report, July 2024

The Distraction & Fatigue Thematic Report of the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA) has been published with the active contribution of NTUA, containing a wealth of information on road safety in 39 countries across Europe, America and Asia-Oceania, based on the ESRA3 survey. This Thematic ESRA3 Report concerns distraction and fatigue in traffic. Results on distraction focus on the use of a mobile phone while driving a car, while only results for car drivers are included for fatigued driving. The report also includes comparisons among the regions as well as results by age and gender group within each region, by country, and the identification of factors that influence the self-declared behaviour of talking on a handheld mobile phone while driving a car and driving a car while fatigued.  pdf5

July 15th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Unfolding the dynamics of driving behavior: a machine learning analysis from Germany and Belgium, July 2024

A paper titled “Unfolding the dynamics of driving behavior: a machine learning analysis from Germany and Belgium” authored by Stella Roussou, Eva Michelaraki, Christos Katrakazas, Amir Pooyan AfghariChristelle Al HaddadMd Rakibul Alam, Constantinos Antoniou, Eleonora PapadimitriouTom Brijs and George Yannis  has been published in European Transport Research Review. Thirty German drivers’ trips and Forty-Three Belgian drivers were analyzed using Long-Short-Term-Memory Networks and shallow Neural Networks, revealing factors contributing to risky behavior. Results indicate i-DREAMS interventions significantly enhance driving behavior, with Neural Networks displaying superior performance among the algorithms considered. doi

July 3rd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Safety evaluation via conflict classification during automated shuttle bus service operations, June 2024

A paper titled “Safety evaluation via conflict classification during automated shuttle bus service operations” authored by Apostolos Ziakopoulos, Maria OikonomouMarios Sekadakis and George Yannis  has been published in European Transport Research Review. To investigate impacts of autonomous shuttle bus services and to further examine their operational speed, the microscopic simulation method was performed.  By analyzing the trajectory data extracted from microsimulation, traffic conflicts were identified and further analyzed by developing Mixed-Effects Multinomial Logit Regression models (ME-MLMs) in order to associate conflict type taking into account network characteristics as well as traffic conditions. The analysis yielded several significant findings that provide quantitative measurements and assessments of the effects observed, enabling a better understanding of the safety implications associated with the widespread adoption of automated services. doi

July 2nd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Promoting Safe Mobility: Protective Equipment, June 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of  NTUA,  SWOV and KFV has launched a safe mobility promotion activity focusing on helmets, seatbelts and child restraint systems. According to the new Reports from the European Road Safety Observatory, protective equipment has been shown to be very effective in protecting road users from death or serious injuries. If used correctly, motorcycle helmets can reduce fatal crashes by around 40% and the chance of severe head injury by almost 70%. Seatbelts are shown to reduce the risk of fatal incidents by 60% for occupants in the front of a vehicle and 44% for those in the rear. Regarding child restraint systems, research indicates that children who are correctly restrained are around 60% less likely to be killed or injured compared to unrestrained children. link pdf5 pdf5 pdf5 ppt5

June 27th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Leveraging Machine Learning Algorithms to Predict and Analyze Single-Vehicle and Multi-Vehicle Crash Occurrences on Motorways, June 2024

A paper titled “Leveraging Machine Learning Algorithms to Predict and Analyze Single-Vehicle and Multi-Vehicle Crash Occurrences on Motorways” authored by Saumik Sakib Bin Masud, Kirti Mahajan,  Alexandra Kondyli,  Katerina Deliali and George Yannis  has been published in Transportation Research Record. The dataset for this research included various types of roadway design parameters and traffic conditions. Combinations of three feature-selection techniques, namely ANOVA, correlation matrix, and ExtraTreesClassifier algorithm, were utilized to separately select the appropriate variables for single-vehicle (SV) and multi-vehicle (MV) crash analysis. The results confirmed that the crash factors associated with single and multi-vehicle crashes are different and that some parameters have inverse impact. Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) can assist transportation professionals in better understanding the causes of SV and MV crashes and advance the process toward Vision Zero. doi

June 27th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

European Court of Auditors – Reaching EU Road Safety Objectives, June 2024

The European Court of Auditors has published a special Report titled ‘Reaching EU Road Safety Objectives – Time to move up a gear’, which provides an in-depth examination of the current state of play and trends in road safety in the EU. The text highlights the importance of investing on high-quality, resilient, and sustainable road infrastructure, and the related road safety planning obligations, as well as of interconnectivity and interoperability of data related to traffic to improve road safety management.  pdf5

June 21st, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Eurostat – Progress Report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the EU, June 2024

Eurostat has recently released a progress Report titled ‘Sustainable development in the European Union – monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2024 edition’. This publication provides readers with a statistical overview of the EU’s progress towards its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on the assessment of the past five years of available data, the EU made progress towards most of the SDGs, while it fell slightly behind in a few goals. Specifically for road safety, the EU road safety policy framework 2021–2030 and Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy aim to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the road by 50% by 2030.  pdf5

June 21st, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Review of City-Wide 30 km/h Speed Limit Benefits in Europe, May 2024

A paper titled “Review of City-Wide 30km/h Speed Limit Benefits in Europe” authored by George Yannis and Eva Michelaraki has been published in Sustainability. This study allows the quantification of the benefits in safety, environment, energy, traffic, livability, and health before and after the phased implementation of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits. Results from 40 different cities across Europe (including Paris, London, Brussels, and Helsinki) demonstrated that 30 km/h speed limits have led to significant reductions: 37% of road crash fatalities, 18% in emissions, 2.5dB in noise pollution and 7% in fuel consumption (on average), with very small variations of average traffic speed. doi

June 7th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

RoSPA – Speed Limits Report, June 2024

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has recently published a Synthesis Report titled “Speed Limits” which focuses on the interventions regarding effective speed management. More precisely, new principles about setting speed limits are emerging, based on an assessment of the combined risk relating to the infrastructure, travel speeds, volume and mix of traffic by type (including vulnerable road users). Furthermore, signs are the primary way of communicating the speed limit of a road to drivers, with principles of effective speed limits signing been uniformity, consistency, simplicity, relevance and legibility. 

June 4th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

RoSPA – Speed, June 2024

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has recently published a Synthesis Report titled “Speed” which focuses on the relationship between speed and risk. Precisely, as average traffic speed reduces, so does the likelihood of a crash resulting in injury that is recorded by the police. Furthermore, effective speed management policies are likely to include an integrated package of measures, including credible speed limits, enforcement, education and engineering. RoSPA is a leading voice in health and safety that has campaigns to reduce avoidable crashes on the road. 

June 4th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

iRAP – 700,000 Deaths and Serious Injuries Saved, May 2024

Using the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) methodology, road safety infrastructure changes and safer speeds within more than 1,000 infrastructure projects have prevented almost 700,000 deaths and serious injuries in 74 countries since 2016, according to a new paper with Johns Hopkins University published in PLOS One. This study is the first to measure the impact of road projects financed by governments, development banks and private-sector road operators around the world using the iRAP methodology and tools. 

June 3rd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Claes Tingvall – Vision Zero Fatalities, May 2024

BBC World News published an article about a revolutionary idea that changed the way Europe regarded road collisionsClaes Tingvall, as the head of Road Safety for the Swedish Road Adminstration in 1995, tried to balance road safety with other factors, including cost, driver preferences and the impact on the economy of changing traffic flows. Tingvall found that crash victims were not, as many in the road transport sector, assumed – drunk and irresponsible drivers but for the most part, they were people who made small mistakes. He introduced the Vision Zero fatalities as ultimum target and the Safe System approach as the way to share the responsibility also to the Authorities and all those involved in the design and the operation of the road and traffic system to be preventive and forgiving to human errors, eliminating the crash and injury risk. link

June 3rd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

FERSI – Secondary roads: Road Safety challenges, May 2024

The Forum of European Road Safety Research Institutes (FERSI) published a paper titled “Secondary roads – Road Safety challenges“, which demonstrates the important contribution of secondary rural roads to the burden of road traffic injuries and fatalities. Furthermore, it identifies the most important road safety challenges and emphasizes the corresponding need for addressing these by introducing appropriate remedial road infrastructure measures and new technologies, supported by consistent research and innovation. link pdf5 

May 31st, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

TSR – Report on Seat Belt Safety Standard Operating Procedures, May 2024

Together for Safer Roads Global Coalition published a Report titled Seat Belt Safety Standard Operating Procedures, which aims at helping fleet managers increase seat belt usage rates, a fundamental and critical aspect of an overall road safety system. This Report is part of a larger, far-reaching Global Fleet Safety Instruments Standardization Initiative and contains six chapters, including training for Seat Belt Compliance, Seat Belt Software and Hardware Selection, Purchasing and Evaluating Vehicle Seat Belt Safety Systems, Seat Belt Utilization Enforcement, Communication for Seat Belt Safety Awareness and Documentation of Seat Belt Safety Compliance. pdf5

May 24th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

NTUA – Ridesharing Services Study, May 2024

NTUA conducted a research titled “The Impact of Ridesharing Services in Athens” to investigate ridesharing socio-economic impact in Athens. The research concludes that the introduction of ridesharing in Athens has a significant positive impact to social welfare of the city improving environment quality, traffic conditions, road safety and economic growth, mainly due to the travel demand swift from private cars to ridesharing services. The emergence of ridesharing service in Greek islands is also discussed. pdf5 pdf5 ppt5 ppt5

May 20th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Young People Facts and Figures Report, May 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Young People Facts and Figures Report which examines the number of fatalities among persons aged 15 to 24 years old. The absolute number of fatalities among young people aged 15-17 decreased by 39% between 2012 and 2022, while the respective number of fatalities among young people aged 18-24 decreased by 38% during the same period. Furthermore, remarkable is that the mortality rate for the age group 15-17 was the second lowest among all age groups in 2022. link pdf5

May 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Seniors Facts and Figures Report, May 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Seniors Facts and Figures Report which refers to people aged 65 years and older. According to this report, seniors have the second highest mortality rate among all age groups, with an average of about 64 senior fatalities per million senior inhabitants in road traffic within the EU27. Moreover, when considering the mode of transportation, seniors experienced a considerably high number of fatalities in the most vulnerable modes. Specifically, in 2022 29% of senior fatalities were pedestrians, while 17% were cyclists. link pdf5

May 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Motorways Facts and Figures Report, May 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Motorways Facts and Figures Report which refers to  motorways, which are public roads with dual carriageways, and at least two lanes each way. In 2022, 9% of all road fatalities in the EU27 occurred on motorways. Remarkable is that 68% of motorway fatalities were between 25 and 64 years old, compared to 54% on other roads (rural and urban roads). link pdf5

May 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Buses & Heavy Goods Vehicles Facts and Figures Report, May 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Buses & Heavy Goods Vehicles Facts and Figures Report which refers to fatalities of buses/coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on European roads. In 2022, 14% of all road fatalities in the EU27 occurred in crashes involving HGVs and 2% of road fatalities in the EU27 occurred in crashes involving buses/coaches. Moreover, remarkable is that female share in fatalities in crashes involving buses/coaches (32%) is remarkably higher than the respective share in crashes involving HGVs and all crashes (23%). link pdf5

May 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Vinci Autoroutes – Euro-Barometer for responsible driving, May 2024

The Fondation VINCI Autoroutes has recently published the results of the 12th Euro-Barometer for Responsible Driving by Ipsos, in which representative attitudes of Europeans at the wheel are recorded, enabling also the monitoring of the evolution of risky driving and good practices to better target prevention messages in European countries. According to this study, Greece has the highest rate of drivers (83%) that use their mobile phone during driving in Europe (EU average 75%). Furthermore, almost half  of Greek drivers (46%) admitted continuing driving even when they feel tired, whereas the respective EU average is 42%.  pdf5 pdf5

May 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Support for Policy Measures Report, May 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Support for Policy Measures Report which focuses on the public support of many road safety policy measures, including zero tolerance for alcohol (0.0‰) for all drivers, installation of an alcohol ‘interlock’ system and the legal obligation to install ISA in new vehicles. Furthermore, the public support of the zero tolerance for using any type of mobile phone while driving for all drivers, the requirement for all cyclists to wear a helmet, as well as the requirement for cyclists to wear reflective material when cycling in the dark, are presented.  link pdf5

May 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Protective Equipment Safety Performance Indicator Report, May 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Protective Equipment Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) Report which focuses on the prevalence and the road safety effects of road users’ use or non-use of bicycle helmets, motorcycle helmets, seat belts and Child Restraint Systems (CRS). Moreover, where feasible, these reports look at whether SPIs are related to existing policies and regulations, providing possible effective interventions to increase safe behaviour, or discourage unsafe behaviour. link pdf5

May 17th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Main Factors Causing Fatal Crashes Report, April 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Main Factors causing Fatal Crashes Thematic Report, in which the role of key risk factors is quantified and discussed, based on the most recent international literature. These factors concern speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, distraction and other psychoactive substances, and non-use of protective equipment. Addressing in priority the above causes of fatalities in Europe, through safe-by-design thinking, i.e. prevention, control and mitigation of the consequences of these errors, can contribute significantly towards the ambitious EU targets of halving fatalities by 2030 and eliminating them by 2050. link pdf5

April 15th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

World Bank/GRSF – Improving Road Traffic Injury Statistics in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, 2023

The World Bank Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) has published a Knowledge Report titled Improving Road Traffic Injury Statistics in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. This Report identifies the reasons behind statistical discrepancies between Low- and Middle-Income Countries and outlines strategies to strengthen modeling efforts. Furthermore, in this Report key findings and recommendations for more accurate reporting of traffic injuries were included.  pdf5

April 14th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

World Bank/GRSF – Estimating the Disability Burden of Road Traffic Injuries, 2023

The World Bank Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) has published a Knowledge Report titled Estimating the Disability Burden of Road Traffic Injuries. This Report provides valuable insights into the prevalence, causes, and long-term impacts of crash-related disabilities. By broadening the discussion beyond fatalities to the often-overlooked issue of disability, the report paves the way for a more holistic perspective on road safety impacts, which can inform more effective road safety policies.  pdf5

April 14th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – Subjective Safety Report, May 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Subjective Safety Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) Report which  focuses on the subjective experience of feeling safe or unsafe in road traffic using different transport modes. Based on data from the ESRA project it is shown that road users feel safer in order importance as: pedestrians (6.7-8.8), car drivers (5.9-8.3), cyclists (4.5-7.3) and motorcyclists (4.5-6.5)link pdf5

April 10th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

Dimitrios Nikolaou PhD – Machine Learning-based Road Crash Risk Assessment, March 2024

Dimitris Nikolaou has successfully defended his PhD dissertation titled: Machine learning-based road crash risk assessment fusing infrastructure, traffic and driver behaviour data, under the supervision of NTUA Prof. George Yannis. Two distinct databases were developed; the former concerned motorway segments and the latter concerned urban and interurban road segments. Several statistical models (e.g. Logistic and Negative Binomial Regression, Hierarchical Clustering, Spatial Error Model) and Machine Learning Algorithms (e.g. Decision Tree, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbour and Support Vector Machine) were implemented. The results revealed that crash frequency on motorway segments is positively correlated with the traffic volume, the segment length, the number of harsh accelerations and the number of harsh brakings per segment trips. It was also concluded that geometrical and behavioural parameters can be combined to meaningfully conduct road safety analysis spatially and proactively, as they are highly correlated with harsh braking Surrogate Safety Measures. pdf5 ppt5

April 9th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

RSS2022 Conference: Advanced Road Safety Analyses, March 2024

A paper titled “RSS2022 Conference: Advanced Road Safety Analyses” authored by George Yannis and Eleonora Papadimitriou has been published in Safety Science. This collection reflects a concerted effort to advance scientific knowledge in road safety, aiming to mitigate crash fatalities and injuries in the digital era through innovative quantitative research methods. doi

April 9th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Model for the assessment of cycling routes in Athens with high resolution data, March 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Model for the assessment of cycling routes in Athens with high resolution data” was recently presented by Aristeidis-Vasileios Kanakis. For this purpose, the critical factors that influence the cycling trips carried out in the areas of Chalandri and Vrilissia, utilizing crowdsourced data from the “Strava Metro” platform, were identified. The results demonstrate a positive effect of the average speed of cycling on the number of cycling trips. The most critical influencing factors on cycling trips concern road infrastructure and traffic conditions on each road section, such as the average speed of cycling trips, the category of road section and its length. pdf5 ppt5

April 8th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

The influence of the penetration of autonomous vehicles on road safety, March 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “The influence of the penetration of autonomous vehicles on road safety” was recently presented by Antonia Antonakaki.  For this purpose, an analysis of simulation data was carried out around the Villaverde network in Madrid.  The application of the models revealed that the factors influencing the above variables have to do with both traffic composition data (vehicle type) and road infrastructure data (road type, road capacity). It is highlighted that increasing the Market Penetration Rate (MPR) of autonomous vehicles in the network was found to have, quantifiable positive effects on road safetypdf5 ppt5

 

April 8th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Investigation of employee preferences in Athens towards the “Bike to Work” scheme, March 2024

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Investigation of employee preferences in Athens towards the “Bike to Work” scheme” was recently presented by Konstantinos Aggelakis.  In order to achieve this,  factors influencing the decisions of workers to use a soft mode of transportation such as bicycles and scooters (electric or conventional) for their commutes in Athens are examined, as well as how the existence of a bicycle lane network affects this decision. Polynomial models demonstrate that increased time and cost savings in commuting do not significantly affect the choice of bicycle or scooter as a commuting mode, contrary to health improvement, while commute duration and commuter age are also significant factors in the choice of micro-mobility modes. pdf5 ppt5

April 8th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Global Road Safety Exchange Report, April 2024

The World Road Association (PIARC) recently published a Report titled “PIARC Global Road Safety Exchange“ with emphassis on Low and Middle Income countries, with the active contribution of NTUA. This Report reflects the wealth of information contained in PIARC multi-annual road safety work about safe infrastructure, the design and operation of road tunnels, speed management, the collection and analysis of road safety data, management, human behaviour, vulnerable road users and vehicles. PIARC recommendations will help to develop expertise in road safety and to adopt the «Safe System Approach» to reducing fatal and serious crashes on the road network worldwide

April 3rd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

ITF – Safer Micromobility Report, March 2024

The International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently published a new Report titled “Safer Micromobility“ co-authored by George Yannis, Virginia Petraki and Philippe Crist. This Report examines safety aspects associated with the increasing use of e-scooters and other forms of micromobility in cities. Micromobility is becoming safer (per miles driven), but an increase in severe injuries from e-scooter crashes is cause for concern. The Report considers a comprehensive set of recommendations in line with the Safe System Approach, to make urban traffic with micromobility safe, including in street layout, vehicle design and vehicle operation, user education and enforcement of rules. It also asks whether a shift towards micromobility can have potential overall traffic safety benefits. link pdf5 pdf5

March 29th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

PIARC – Models for Sight Distance in Road Design, March 2024

The World Road Association – PIARC recently published a Report titled “Models for Sight Distance in Road Design“. This work provides an overview of the importance of comparing international road design standards to check their updated status and the degree of their readiness to face the forthcoming innovations in road mobility and safety. This report also assesses possibilities of transferring models to other road design standards mainly in Low- or Middle-Income Countries. 

March 29th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Reducing Road Deaths on Rural Roads, 46th PIN Flash Report, March 2024

Τhe European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has published the 46th PIN Flash Report titled Reducing Road Deaths on Rural Roads. This Report examines the latest data on rural 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 road deaths on rural roads including recommendations to national governments and EU about infrastructure, speeds and speed limits, vulnerable road users (VRUs) and vehicle safety. link pdf5

March 28th, 2024|Categories: Data, Knowledge|

Hadrian – Handbook of Shaping Automated Driving, March 2024

A book titled “Shaping Automated Driving to Achieve Societal Mobility Needs: A Human-Systems Integration Approach” was recently published under the framework of the Horizon 2020 project HADRIAN  (Holistic Approach for Driver Role Integration and Automation Allocation for European Mobility Needs). This book describes novel human-systems integration approaches to improve acceptance, safety, and comfort of automated vehicles. Each chapter offers timely and practice-oriented information concerning the different aspects in the development of automated driving systems which adapt to the users’ needs.  NTUA actively contributed with the following chapters:

March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – Traffic urban road fatalities collision matrix in the EU, March 2024

The European Commission published the road fatalities collision matrix in urban roads in the EU. The available EU-wide data for 2022 contained in the CARE database, demonstrate that 38% of road traffic fatalities occured in urban areas, with vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and users of powered two-wheelers) representing almost 70% of total fatalities. This collision matrix shows clearly that urban road user fatalities occur overwhelmingly when a crash involves cars and vulnerable road users, underlining the need to improve protection of these vulnerable road users. Furthermore, the high number (31% of the total crashes) of single vehicle crashes of cars and two-wheelers demosntrate the critical role of speeding in the cities.  pdf5 

March 20th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Traffic fatalities collision matrix in the EU, March 2024

The European Commission published a breakdown of fatalities in the EU by road user and (other) “main vehicle” involved in the crash. The matrix shows clearly that fatalities overwhelmingly occur in collisions involving cars, and the need  to increase the protection of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. EU policies are already evolving in this direction with the new mandatory safety measures introduced by the General Safety Regulation focused on VRUs.  pdf5

March 20th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

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. Infographics of key road data and synthesis results highlight the current status of roads at global and regional level. 

March 5th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

Network-wide road crash risk screening: A new framework, March 2024

A paper titled “Network-wide road crash risk screening: A new framework” authored by Michela Bonera, Benedetto BarabinoGeorge Yannis and Giulio Maternini  has been published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. This study integrates road safety factors, prediction models and a risk-based method. Road segments are ranked according to the risk value and classified by a five-level scale, to show the parts of road network with the highest crash risk. This framework introduces a valid support for road safety Authorities to help identify the most critical road segments on the network, prioritise interventions and, possibly, improve the safety performance. doi

March 2nd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge|

European Commission – Road Safety Country Profiles, February 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Road Safety Country Profiles, which provide a comprehensive overview of the road safety status in the 27 EU Member States and three EFTA countries for the period 2012 to 2021. These country profiles exploit data and information from a range of sources, including the CARE and other international databases, as well as national sources, in order to highlight current road safety outcomes, performance indicators, policy & measures and structure & culture for each country. link

February 22nd, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Cyclists Thematic Report, February 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Cyclists Thematic Report which refers to users of a conventional bicycle or a pedelec/e-bike, i.e., an electric powered bicycle offering pedal assistance up to approximately 25 km/h. This Thematic Report describes how cyclists participate in traffic, as well as cyclists in relation to road safety hazards. Furthermore, countermeasures about infrastructure, bicycle-related measures, protective measures, enforcement and traffic education are suggested. link pdf5

February 15th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

European Commission – Seniors Thematic Report, January 2024

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Seniors Thematic Report which refers to people aged 65 years and over. This Thematic Report describes how seniors participate in traffic, as well as seniors in relation to road safety hazards.  Moreover, countermeasures about infrastructure, road users fitness-to-drive and training, vehicles systems, automation and bicycles for seniors are suggested. link pdf5

February 15th, 2024|Categories: Knowledge, News|

PIARC – Boosting Road Safety in LMICs, 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|

European Commission – Fatigue Safety Performance Indicator Report, December 2023

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Fatigue Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) Report which focuses on the percentage of drivers driving non-fatigued. This report aims to give insight into the differences between groups of countries regarding their road user behaviour or attitude. According to this report, the mean percentage of self-reported fatigued driving (during the previous 30 days) in Europe is 23%. link pdf5

December 31st, 2023|Categories: Knowledge, News|

WHO – Helmets, December 2023

The World Health Organization has released a Road Safety Manual for decision-makers and practitioners concerning Helmets Safety. This second edition of the Helmets Manual aims to provide guidance to countries on how to implement some of the recommendations identified within the World Report, and thus improve their overall road safety record. This Manual provides practical advice to road safety practitioners on how to achieve a much higher proportion of users of two-wheeled vehicles wearing helmets pdf5

December 30th, 2023|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|

European Commission – Young Novice Drivers Thematic Report, December 2023

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Young Novice Drivers Thematic Report which refers to the safety of age group 16-24 years old drivers. This Thematic Report describes how novice drivers gain their driving license, as well as novice drivers in relation to road safety hazards. Furthermore, countermeasures about driver training, additional training, exposure, legislation and vehicles are suggested, with particular emphasis on the effectiveness of measures of higher-order skill training and testing in driving licence systems, such as hazard perception and risk awareness. link pdf5

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

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. These data regarding the country profiles are also available through the WHO Road Safety Data app 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 on acceptance of speed limit reduction on Greek motorways, November 2023

An NTUA Diploma Thesis titled “Survey on acceptance of speed limit reduction on Greek motorways” was recently presented by Christina Agourou. A stated preference survey was carried out examining three different scenarios of speed limits’ reduction on motorways. Multinomial and binary logistic regression models were developed and results demonstrated that drivers acceptance of  speed limit reduction in motorways increases as the number of fatalities and serious injuries increases. It was also revealed that females are more willing to comply with lower speed limits than males. 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|