The Horizon Europe research project metaCCAZE has recently released a new Blog Post authored by George Yannis on the new Greek Road Traffic Code. The new Road Traffic Code introduces city-wide 30 km/h speed limit in all urban streets of one or two directions with a single lane per direction, making Greece the second EU country after Spain to implement such a measure. It is also rationalising and simplifying penalties and linking them to the offences’ seriousness and magnitude. Furthermore it introduces a number of correct and necessary traffic management provisions with emphasis on motorcycles and the 30km/h speed limit in cities. 

The Horizon 2020 research project PHOEBE has recently released the PHOEBE 5th Newsletter, which provides information on the latest outcomes of the EU-funded ‘Predictive Approaches for Safer Urban Environment’ (PHOEBE) project aiming to increase the road safety of vulnerable road users, especially those who use active mobility and e-scooters. Particular attention was given to the conclusion of the Project’s model development for the safety of vulnerable road users and the safety use case implementation. 

A paper titled Investigating the impact of in-vehicle warning information complexity on drivers: The role of working memory capacity and cognitive load authored by Kunchen Li, Wei Yuan, George Yannis, Fuwei Wu and Chang Wang has been published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. This Paper investigates the impact of the complexity of the warning messages on the behavior and physiological states of the driver, taking into account individual differences in working memory capacity and cognitive load levels. A total of 37 participants were recruited to conduct a mixed design driving simulation experiment, with working memory capacity treated as a between-subjects factor. The analysis included correlation as well as a Generalized Linear Mixed-effects Model (GLMM). The findings suggest that visually rich warnings lead to increased braking reaction times, especially between drivers having low working memory capacity and under high cognitive load. These findings offer theoretical insights to assist manufacturers in designing human-centered, personalized, and adaptive in-vehicle warning systems. 

A paper titled E-scooter riders: A cross-cultural analysis of traffic safety attitudes and behaviors authored by Milad Delavary, Craig Lyon, Ward G.M. Vanlaar, Robyn D. Robertson, Dimitrios Nikolaou and George Yannis has been published in IATSS Research. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of self-reported risky behaviors across various demographic groups and regions, and to assess factors contributing to the likelihood of unsafe e-scooter riding behavior. To achieve this, data from the third edition of the E-Survey of Road users’ Attitudes (ESRA) were utilized, focusing on responses from 39 countries worldwide. This paper included descriptive analysis and also mixed-effects logistic regression models were employed. The findings suggest that younger individuals and males are more likely to use e-scooters and engage in risky behaviors. Key factors influencing or associated with these behaviors included previous crash involvement, student status, and permissive attitudes toward safety regulations. Furthermore the study highlights the need for targeted safety interventions that address infrastructural factors as well as behavioral factors, including demographic and attitudinal influences. 

The European Commission is organising the TRAVisions competitions for transport research awards to be announced in a prestigious award ceremony within the Transport Research Arena Conference (TRA) on 18-21 May 2026 in Budapest (abstract submission deadline: 30/6/2025): 

• TRAVisions 2026 Young Researcher Competition, is aimed at University and Technical Institute students pursuing bachelor, master and PhD degrees 
• TRAVisions 2026 Senior Researcher Competition, a competition for Senior Researchers in the field of innovative surface transport concepts based on results only from EU-funded projects 

A paper titled Validating traffic simulation for crash risk assessment using field crash data authored by Maria Oikonomou and George Yannis has been published in Journal of Safety Research. This study aims to bridge the gap between simulation models and real-world safety observations, contributing to the advancement of more robust safety assessment methodologies. Utilizing Aimsun Next, simulation data were analyzed to extract traffic conflicts, which were then converted into crash risk levels, as well ass real-world crash data between 2017 and 2019. The analysis of simulation and observational data revealed two distinct clusters: roads with low and high crash risks, clearly distinguished with minimal overlap. The findings suggest approximately 87.7% accuracy in predicting road crash risk classifications through traffic simulation, confirming its reliability for safety assessment. This paper validates a framework ready for future research applications in scenarios where direct observation is impractical, enhancing road safety and guiding interventions within evolving traffic conditions and technologies. 

The International Road Traffic Safety Analysis and Data (IRTAD) Group of  the International Transport Forum (ITF) has recently launched a new and highly useful interactive Road Safety Dashboard, showcasing up-to-date crash and mortality data from 35 IRTAD member countries. This Dashboard is exploiting the long-standing IRTAD database, with data collected directly from relevant national data providers. This data includes county strategies and targets, road fatality data from 2013 to 2023 with country comparisons and country profiles with road fatalities by user group and mortality rate by age. 

The European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures (ASECAP) is organizing for the third year a European day awareness Campaign on 25 June 2025, to draw public attention on safety of staff working on motorways. This Campaign titled “Strengthening Patroller Safety on European Roads” aims to take a European dimension supported throughout the network operated by ASECAP members. This year, with the engagement of new concessionaires and countries, the Campaign aims to go even further – promoting mutual respect, empathy, and concrete action between all road users.  

EIT Urban Mobility has just published the EIT Urban Mobility Academic Research Board Annual Report: Strategic Research Priorities and Gaps, with the active contribution of NTUA. This Report outlines key challenges in urban mobility across Europe and highlights five core priority areas: economic productivity, resilience and adaptation, decarbonization, health and safety, and accessibility and inclusion. The Report presents a high-level perspective on knowledge gaps and future research priorities which are examined in the context of societal goals, systemic pressures, and critical policy levers, bringing together leading researchers from across Europe and beyond. 

A paper titled Mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease dementia, and predictors of driving cessation: A 7-year longitudinal prospective study authored by Petros Stamatelos, Ion Beratis, Panagiota Hatzaki, Alexandra Economou, Nikolaos Andronas, Dimosthenis Pavlou, Stella Fragkiadaki, Dionysia Kontaxopoulou, Anastasios Bonakis, Leonidas Stefanis, George Yannis and Sokratis Papageorgiou has been published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. This paper aims to identify predictors of driving cessation among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD). The 109 participants underwent a neurological, neuropsychological and driving simulator assessment with re-evaluations after 48 and 84 months including a structured interview with the patients and their caregiver. Primary endpoints were driving cessation, death and progression to dementia. The findings suggest that age, SVF and mTWT are significant predictors of driving cessation among MCI and AD patients. Furthermore, driving simulator may be a promising component of driving evaluation. 

A paper titled Exploring the impact of driver feedback on safety: A systematic review of studies in real-world driving conditions authored by Armira Kontaxi, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis has been published in Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. This study systematically investigates the role of driver feedback towards improving driving behavior, by utilizing the the PRISMA framework and by reviewing 34 studies. The studies are analyzed in terms of their experimental frameworks, including sample sizes, feedback delivery methods, and feedback phases, along with statistical models employed to assess the impact of feedback on driving behavior and road safety. The findings suggest that driver feedback can significantly reduce crash risks and improve driving behavior, but further research is required to explore its long-term effects and broader applicability. 

The fourth edition of Road Safety Manual (RSM) developed by the World Road Association (PIARC) is now available. It is designed to help countries at every stage of infrastructure development to fulfil road safety objectives and it is aligned with key pillars for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030: Pillar 1: Multimodal transport and land use planning, Pillar 2: Safe Road Infrastrucure and Pillar 4: Safe Road Use. This comprehensive resource builds on the broad range of knowledge and experience provided by PIARC in the previous editions. It includes new thinking on road safety and offers a clear argument on why adopting a Safe System approach is crucial for all countries. 

The Foundation VINCI Autoroutes has recently published the results of the 15^th 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 (82%) that use their mobile phone during driving in Europe (EU average 77%). Furthermore, most of the Greek drivers (81%) admits exceeding the speed limit by a few km/h. In addition, 40% of drivers in Greece admitted continuing driving even when they feel tired, whereas the respective EU average is 32%. 

A paper titled Eco-driving in rural areas: a sustainable approach to reducing emissions and enhancing road safety authored by  Marios Sekadakis, Penny Kourenti, Thodoris Garefalakis, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis has been published in Case Studies on Transport Policy. This study aims to examine the advantages of eco-driving in rural and mountainous rural settings by employing an experimental methodology and utilizing data collected from 39 participants across a range of driving simulation scenarios and their characteristics through a questionnaire survey. To achieve this goal linear and logistic regression models were implemented. The analysis revealed that eco-driving significantly reduces pollutant emissions reduces fuel consumption by 7%, and reduces the probability of crashes by 66.2%. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis confirmed that mountainous rural networks, due to their topographical complexity, are associated with higher emissions, increased fuel consumption, and elevated crash risk compared to flatter rural environments, highlighting the need for terrain-specific eco-driving strategies. These findings highlight the promise of eco-driving practices in improving environmental sustainability and safety, particularly in rural environments. 

A paper titled Systematic review and meta-analysis of take-over time from automated driving at SAE levels 2 and 3 to manual control authored by Marios Sekadakis and George Yannis has been published in Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour.  This study systematically investigates how Take-Over Time (TOT) is affected by road environments, traffic volumes , SAE levels, Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designs and Take-Over Requests (TORs) alerts, utilizing the the PRISMA framework, by reviewing 51 studies. Meta-regression and sensitivity analyses were conducted to quantify the effects of key factors on TOT. Findings suggest significant correlations between shorter TOT and higher maximum longitudinal and lateral accelerations, greater lane variability, and a moderate increase in crash rates, highlighting potential safety concerns. This study highlights the critical role of adaptive systems tailored to specific driving contexts, road conditions, and automation levels. 

The National Technical University of Athens has recently released a Guide for Safe Driving providing practical advice for drivers and riders in order to prevent key crash causes: speeding, seat-belt, helmet, mobile phone use, drink-and-drive, fatigue and adverse weather conditions. This Guide suggests summary knowledge on these key crash risk factors together with highly useful recommendations in order to promote safe driving behaviour and develop a continuously improving road safety culture.    

A paper titled Quantifying the impact of COVID-19 on driving behavior and mobility patterns: A four-country comparative overview authored by Eva Michelaraki, Marios Sekadakis, Christos Katrakazas, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis has been published in Case Studies on Transport Policy  The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of COVID- 19 on driving behavior, mobility patterns and road safety through the exploitation of data from sensors via a smartphone application developed by OSeven Telematics. To achieve this goal a random dataset from its database for four countries (i.e. Greece, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Brazil) was collected and analyzed, utilizing a logistic regression model. The results revealed that speeding percentage, average driving speed, as well as harsh events (except for Cyprus) were increased during the lockdown period. Moreover, a significant decrease in traffic volumes and numbers of people walking in each country was demonstrated during the pandemic. These findings highlighted the need for enhanced traffic law enforcement, smart traffic management solutions and sustainable mobility planning to mitigate the heightened road safety risks observed during lockdown periods. 

The Horizon Europe research project metaCCAZE has recently released the metaCCAZE 3rd Newsletter, which provides information on the latest outcomes of the EU-funded metaCCAZE project aiming to accelerate the deployment of smart systems that combine electric, automated and connected technologies and infrastructure, enabling zero-emission shared mobility services for both passengers and goods in European cities. This version of the Newsletter celebrates the 2^nd year of the EU-funded project, marking a key turning point: the spotlight is now equally on the Follower Cities—Athens, Gozo, Kraków, Milan, Miskolc, and Poissy in Yvelines, part of the Paris Region. Each city brings its own challenges, priorities, and ambitions—from Milan’s suburban e-pod mobility concept to Gozo’s autonomous shuttle, and Athens’ integration of electric buses using AI-supported planning. The diversity across these urban environments provides a proving ground for scalable, people-centred mobility solutions. 

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission recently published a Report to address the critical need for Safe and Secure Parking Areas (SSPAs) for professional drivers across the European Union, focusing on their availability, security standards, and development potential. This Report highlights persistent challenges in the road transport sector, including driver shortages, inadequate parking infrastructure, and security concerns, which hinder the sector’s operational efficiency and driver well-being. To address this issue, the Study recommends strategic investments, including the rapid upgrade and certification of existing parking areas that already meet the required safety and security standards. Furthermore, this Report highlights that improved connectivity and digitalisation are essential drivers for making SSPAs more accessible and attractive.  

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission announced updated rules for safer roads, less air pollution and digital vehicle documents. The new rules will take into account the growing presence of electric vehicles and adapt to emerging technologies. They will introduce enhanced inspections, including periodic technical inspections for electric vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems, annual inspections for older cars and vans, and advanced emission testing methods to detect high-emitting vehicles to reduce fine particles pollution. The proposed changes reflect the EU’s commitment to safe and sustainable mobility while ensuring the free movement of people and goods. Between 2026 and 2050, it is estimated that these proposals will save around 7,000 lives and prevent around 65,000 serious injuries. 

A paper titled Laboratory of Traffic Engineering authored by  Lv Yisheng , George Yannis and Eleni Vlahogianni, has been published in IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine. This paper focuses on the Laboratory of Traffic Engineering of NTUA (LTE), established in 1998. The mission of the NTUA LTE is to provide scientists and engineers with a high level of education and to promote research in the field of traffic engineering. The LTE’s educational and research activities are characterized by high innovation, excellent organization, and great utility for society. The LTE contributes to a vast spectrum of scientific fields, including predictive traffic management, road safety, and connected and cooperative automated mobility (CCAM). Some of the indicative Projects of LTE are: DIT4TRAM, PHOEBE, IMPROVA, FRODDO and SHOW. 

A paper titled Investigation of hit-and-run crash severity through explainable machine learning authored by Stella Roussou, Apostolos Ziakopoulos and George Yannis, has been published in Transportation Letters. This study, uses a 5-year dataset from Victoria, Australia and analyzed with CatBoost algorithms and SHAP values using explainable machine learning techniques, to highlight key severity factors. Findings suggest that the presence of police at the crash scene emerges as the most critical determinant, underscoring the importance of law enforcement in mitigating severe crash outcomes. Furthermore crashes involving passenger vehicles and those on weekends were also linked to higher severity. These novel findings offer valuable insights for targeted interventions and policy-making to mitigate the impact of severe hit-and-run crashes and enhance road safety. 

A paper titled Analyzing the safety effects of different operating speeds for an autonomous shuttle bus service authored by Maria Oikonomou, Marios Sekadakis, Christos Katrakazas and George Yannis has been published in Traffic Safety Research. This study utilizes microscopic simulation analysis in order to quantify the impact of road safety of an automated shuttle bus service within traffic. In the traffic network of Villaverde, Madrid, several scenarios were simulated using the Aimsun software considering the various CAV MPRs and the different operational speeds of the service, namely 15, 30, and 45 km/h. The analysis revealed that the conflict frequency is lower when the shuttle bus operates at 45 or 30 km/h compared to 15 km/h, with the 45 km/h speed showing the largest reduction. This reduction in conflicts is probably due to the shuttle bus adapting more easily to the average traffic speed and is more synchronized with traffic flow. The current study establishes a solid relationship for the conflict frequency of AV shuttles enabling stakeholders to optimize road safety towards a future of automated traffic. 

The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) together with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) have launched “Learn – Ride – Enjoy – Repeat”, a European-wide Campaign designed to encourage novice and experienced riders to take high-quality voluntary motorcycle training. This Campaign aims to inspire European riders to take the next step in their journey by enrolling in certified training programmes, ensuring more riders have access to advanced tools and knowledge to enjoy motorcycling safely and responsibly. The Campaign builds on the success of the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label – voluntary certification of high-quality post-license training courses across Europe. As motorcycling continues to serve as a key mobility and leisure tool for millions across Europe, improving rider safety remains a top priority.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV, VIAS Institute and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Traffic Safety Culture Thematic Report which emphasizes on growing a positive Traffic Safety Culture (TSC). This Thematic Report highlights that TSC encompasses shared values, norms, and attitudes that impact behaviours across the road system, influencing not only individual road users but also key stakeholders such as public authorities, private companies, NGOs, vehicle manufacturers, and infrastructure designers. An important way to leverage TSC as a concept to improve road safety is through organisations and companies, also preventive efforts to tackle risk behaviours should be made, ideally by focusing on long-term behavioural change.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV, VIAS Institute and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Professional Drivers Thematic Report which mainly refers to the safety of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and buses. This Thematic Report highlights that the safety of HGVs and buses are significantly influenced by road infrastructure due to their unique characteristics such as mass, maneuverability, and acceleration/deceleration capabilities, as well as the fatigue and distraction of the drivers. Furthermore, countermeasures about separating these heavy vehicles from other road users, providing professional drivers with timely warnings about hazardous or restricted road sections and addressing the need for adequate and well-managed overnight parking facilities for HGVs are suggested.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV, VIAS Institute and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Children Thematic Report which refers to the safety of children. This Thematic Report highlights that children are, along with elderly people, the most vulnerable road users with boys being most at risk due to greater exposure and risk-taking behaviour. Moreover, a series of specific countermeasures are suggested, such as road infrastructure that prioritizes vulnerable users, 30 km/h zones around childcare facilities, mandatory protective equipment, the enhancement of active and passive vehicle safety, traffic laws with strict penalties, as well as better Traffic Safety and Mobility education in schools.  

The European Commission published collision matrices of fatalities in the EU by road user and area type (urban, rural, total). The available EU-wide data for 2023 contained in the CARE database, demonstrate that 38% of road traffic fatalities occurred in urban areas, with vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, users of powered two-wheelers and personal mobility devices) representing almost 70% of total fatalities. Furthermore 52% of road traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, with vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, e-scooters and users of powered two-wheelers) representing almost 36% of total fatalities. These collision matrices provide highly useful insight on road crash causes, exploited for appropriate EU policies and actions.      

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has published the 48th PIN Flash Report titled “Reducing Serious Injuries on European Roads“. This Report examines the underreporting of serious injuries in European roads. According to official sources, approximately 1,291,000 people are reported injured annually in the European Union, with 141,000 of these injuries being serious. While most serious injuries are suffered as a result of collisions involving motor vehicles and are much more likely to be reported by police, many involving pedestrians and cyclists where no motor vehicle was involved go unreported. The current performance in the European Union is not on track for reaching the target to reduce serious road traffic injuries by 50% between 2020 and 2030 and further action targeting serious injuries reduction is needed.  

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Annual Statistical Report on Road Safety, April 2025 in the EU, which provides an overview of crash data for 2013 to 2023 from 27 EU Member States and the four EFTA countries. According to this Report, 53% of road traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads, versus 38% in urban areas and 9% on motorways. It was also revealed that car occupants (drivers and passengers) represented 44% of all fatalities, while pedestrians accounted for 18%, users of powered two-wheelers (motorbikes and mopeds) 17%, and cyclists 10%.