12 March 2019 | Valletta, Malta 

On 28^th February, the ERF held in the Intercontinental Hotel in Malta a Workshop on Road Safety, under the auspices of Infrastructure Malta, Malta Road Safety Council and Transport Malta.

Malta is planning to realise a massive investment in the coming seven years to enhance the quality of its road network and achieve major improvement of the safety level on its roads. The Workshop served as a platform for discussions and sharing of best practices between the public authorities and ERF members.  The one day event was organised following an invitation made by Infrastructure Malta.

This workshop, attended by 20 Maltese road safety engineers and specialists, covered topics related to road safety, i.e. the European Road Infrastructure Policy, Road markings, Traffic Signs, Road Maintenance and Mobility and Road Restraint Systems and Road Side Safety. The ERF was given the opportunity to share its expertise and knowledge which stem from the work done in dedicated Working Groups and EU funded projects.

“This Workshop is the starting point of a future closer cooperation between the ERF and Infrastructure Malta” stated Christophe Nicodème, Director General of ERF. “We are pleased that road authorities are taking into consideration the importance of Road Safety, and we are looking forward to seeing more and more states taking similar initiatives.”

6 March 2019 | Brussels, Belgium

The future Directive on Road Infrastructure Safety Management showcases the importance of readability and detectability of road markings and signs both by human drivers and automated driver assistance systems.

The European Union Road Federation (ERF) welcomes this development as signs and markings represent a cost-effective road element that can ensure safe driving conditions while also providing the best guidance. This is especially important under adverse weather and vision conditions. Two dedicated ERF technical working groups, that gather main representatives of the sector, are constantly exchanging knowledge and investigating how markings and signs can optimise infrastructure performance under new mobility environments.

Since the publication of the 3^rd Mobility Package by the European Commission in May 2018, experts from different organisations have worked on the analysis of current solutions to ensure safe driving conditions.  As a result, the first set of technical recommendations to facilitate the recognition of road markings by human and vehicle vision is now published calling on the following performance requirements:

• Road Markings in night visibility should never drop below 150 mcd/lx/m2 night visibility under dry conditions and never below 35 mcd/lx/m2 under wet and rainy conditions
• The width of Road Markings should never be less than 15 cm
• Ensure a sufficiently high contrast ratio between marking and pavement (never below 3:1) to mitigate false readings caused by glare
• Facilitate harmonisation of markings design and layout across various countries

“We are glad to share expertise and successful experiences with the European Commission and Member States on how markings can better perform towards human and vehicle vision. For that, we focus our work on co-funded EU projects and several technical publications in order to ensure that the results reach as many stakeholders as possible including from other regions as the United States” commented Harald Mosböck, Chair of the Working Group on Road Markings.

13 November 2018 | Vienna, Austria

The automation of vehicles is progressing steadily considering the growing number of assistance systems designed to relieve the driver. However, the existing  infrastructure was created at a time when automation was not yet an issue. Therefore, to ensure safe and efficient traffic with automated and non-automated vehicles in the future, it will be necessary to adapt our physical road infrastructure and expand it with digital elements.

This was the topic addressed on 12th November during an event co- organised by GSV (the Austrian Association for Transport and Infrastructure) and the ERF in the ‘Haus der Industrie’ in Vienna.

The panelists and keynotes invited to this event, among which the ERF President Rik Nuyttens, discussed on the importance of the road infrastructure in the process of automated driving. They also addressed the aspect of the time necessary to have highly automated systems and the necessity of cooperation between major stakeholders (infrastructure managers, automotive industry, system providers and of course public authorities).

In his statements, Rik Nuyttens also emphasised that traffic safety is a strong motivator to focus on automated driving, in particular if we consider the number of fatalities on our roads. Intelligent vehicles have enormous potential to drastically reduce the number of accidents and this is the reason why automated driving is strongly promoted by the European Commission.

24 July 2018 | Lisbon, Portugal

The AFB20(2) Subcommittee will be conducting its 6th European Meeting on Thursday October 18 in Lisbon, Portugal.

In cooperation with the International Road Federation, Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) and the Transport Research Board, the ERF is pleased to announce the 2018 edition of the AFB20 (2) Roadside Safety Design Subcommittee on International Research Activities. The one-day meeting will be a unique opportunity for road safety experts around the globe to gather and exchange information concerning the latest trends and developments in the area of passive safety and road safety design.

► Location: Lisbon, Portugal

► Deadline for abstracts: 18 August 2018 

Organised by:

12 June 2018 | Brussels, Belgium

The European Union Road Federation (ERF) and the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA) have published a joint position paper, called ‘Improving infrastructure safety for powered two-wheelers’.

Only in 2017 power two-wheelers fatalities (motorcycles and mopeds) counted for 17% of the total road victims, while accounting only for 1,8%  of the total traffic flow. Both ERF and FEMA strongly believe that road safety for motorcyclists can be improved by looking at the design of road infrastructure.

Basic and low-cost preventive measures such as the installation of motorcycle protection systems on guardrails, maintaining the skid resistance of pavement markings and ensuring that roads surfaces are properly maintained can make an important contribution to the safety of riders and help achieve better progress towards reaching the EU’s goal of reducing fatalities by 50 percent by 2020 in line with the objective set out in the Road Safety Action Program 2011-2020.

ERF and FEMA encourage the European Commission to include specific measures focussed on motorcycle protection infrastructure for the coming road safety framework 2020-2030. Both organisations are open to cooperate by sharing expertise and technical knowledge with policymakers which can be transformed in positive measures to develop a safer mobility in Europe.

ERF:

Established in 1998, the European Union Road Federation (ERF) is non-profit association which defends the role of roads as a sine que non for Europe’s socio-economic prosperity. With more than 60 members, it acts as a true platform for dialogue and research on issues related to safe mobility.

Contact person: Christophe Nicodème, ERF Director General

www.erf.be 

FEMA:

The Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) represents European motorcyclists and aims to promote, protect and preserve motorcycling. Its mission is to promote riders’ interests and defend riders’ rights throughout Europe and globally

Contact person: Dolf Willigers, FEMA General Secretary

www.fema-online.eu

13 May 2018 | Wattens, Austria

The SWARCO Supervisory Board and Executive Board are deeply sad to announce that SWARCO’s founder and CEO, Consul and Councillor of Commerce Manfred Swarovski passed away peacefully at the age of 77 on 13 May 2018.

SWARCO has lost its mastermind who managed to bring his group of companies to world renown in the field of road safety and intelligent traffic management in the course of nearly half a century. The traffic industry loses an internationally highly respected advocator of road safety and environmentally sound mobility who untiringly underlined the need for continued public investment in road infrastructure in order to save lives.

SWARCO AG Executives Philipp Swarovski, Daniel Sieberer and Michael Schuch agree with one voice: “Manfred’s entrepreneurial spirit, his visionary ideas and his human way are both an obligation and incentive for us to continue SWARCO, his life’s work, successfully in his spirit. Manfred’s principle has always been to shape a powerful and integrated organisation out of a huge number of individual companies. This mentality will be in our focus, too, in order to further strengthen the SWARCO brand on a global level”, confirm the SWARCO Executives.

Dr. Josef Prettenhofer, Chairman of SWARCO AG’s Supervisory Board, adds: „Manfred Swarovski has always aimed to ensure the stability and continuity of the corporation. That is why he planned his succession ahead of time by continuously handing over his tasks to the Executive Board members during the past years. They will continue to run the company strategically and operationally in close alignment with the Supervisory Board.”

What started in 1969 in Austria with a small factory for the production of reflective glass beads has become – nearly fifty years later – the international traffic technology corporation SWARCO, employing some 3,700 people and generating annual revenues of 675 million EUR. Following its leading idea of improving quality of life for all travellers, SWARCO today offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the fields of road safety and intelligent traffic management; supporting the growing mobility needs of society with turnkey systems and solutions in road marking, urban and interurban traffic control, parking solutions, and public transport management.

The SWARCO Family is deeply moved by the loss of its head Manfred Swarovski and expresses its heartfelt condolences to his wife Elisabeth, his sons Alexander, Philipp and Manfred and to the brothers and sisters of Manfred.

Contact: SWARCO AG, Richard Neumann (Head of Communication), richard.neumann@swarco.com

26 April 2018| Dubrovnik, Croatia

The US-based Transportation Research Board (TRB) is co-sponsoring a one-day workshop titled “Traffic Signs & Pavement Markings: International State of the Art on Policies & Research” organised on the opening day of the European Road Conference, October 22-24 2018 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

The downward trend in global traffic injuries has been on pause since 2013, and is particularly notable in developed economies which had enjoyed a steady decline over the previous decade.

Numerous reports confirm that single vehicle accidents remain a particular cause of concern, accounting for 45% of European fatalities. Drivers unable to understand the road environment and make informed decisions are particularly prone to run-off road accidents. The problem is increasingly compounded with an ageing motoring population and under-investments in the maintenance of roadside safety assets. There is also a growing body of research evidence that the shift towards partial and full vehicle automation will trigger new design requirements which the sector needs to assess and prepare for.

This special interest session will share the international state of the art on the design and maintenance of traffic signs and pavement markings through a cross-sector panel of road agencies, research institutions and industry stakeholders.

The topics of the session are the following:

• Conspicuous signs/markings in all weather and road conditions
• Good practices in maintaining signs & markings
• Interaction between intelligent vehicles and signs/markings/delineation

For further information contact Ms Carmine Dwyer:

Sponsored by:

28 March 2018 | Nice, France

The Pavement Preservation and Recycling Summit (PPRS2018) closed its second edition in Nice (France) on 28 March. Around 1000 attendants participated in 16 dedicated sessions to maintenance on the infrastructure asset complemented by three major plenary sessions.

While the first edition aimed at raising awareness of regulators and decision-makers, this year´s event represents a continuation in the action by identifying and promoting successful experiences to develop a road infrastructure safer, smarter and more sustainable following latest mobility trends.

PPRS is the response of the industry to the current challenges faced by the transport sector. Concretely, the 3–days event had the main objectives main objectives:

•  Discussion of current road maintenance and modernisation practices including follow-up of conclusions adopted during last summit in Paris
•  Identification of opportunities, solutions to overcome challenges and adaption to new social, economic and environmental scenario
•  Incorporation of latest technologies and innovative solutions to achieve policy goals in the mobility sector both in urban and non-urban areas

The event has been consolidated as a unique opportunity for all stakeholders, from public and private sectors, to present their latest developments and get better acquainted with good practices from like-minded professionals around the globe.

27 March 2018 | Sofia, Bulgaria

Around 350 stakeholders gathered in Sofia (Bulgaria) to participate in the “International Road Safety & Innovation Forum – Leveraging new technologies and good practices from Europe and beyond”.

The Forum was co-organised by the Bulgarian Branch Association Road Safety, ERF and IRF under the patronage the Ministry of Regional Development & Public Works (MRRB), the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) and the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU.

The key objective for the Forum is to understand how new technologies in the field of asset management and the vehicle side can allow for important road safety gains and help promote a constructive framework for infrastructure adaptation

Panelists presented new and innovative solutions like road markings optimized for ADAS-enabled vehicles and as well latest innovations in passive safety measures designed to protect vulnerable road users. The Forum served to show the infrastructure stakeholders commitment with authorities tp reach EU targets on road safety both to reduce fatalities and number of injuries.

During the morning sessions two main issues were addressed: the road financing and how better data could lead to an improvement in road safety. In the afternoon sessions new technologies for safer and smart cities and proven solutions for the improvement of road safety were presented.

23 March 2018 | Vienna, Austria

The SafetyCube European Conference on Better Decision Making for Road Safety was held successfully with more than 150 participants on 22-23 March 2018, at Palais Auersperg in the city centre of Vienna, Austria.

The SafetyCube project started on March 1st, 2015 and ran for a period of three years. Its results were presented in the conference, with special focus on the SafetyCube Decision Support System (DSS), which is the primary objective of the project. The DSS is expected to enable policy-makers and stakeholders to select and implement the most appropriate strategies, measures and cost-effective approaches to reduce casualties of all road user types and all severities in Europe and worldwide.

The conference brought together experts, stakeholders and decision makers from across Europe to discuss the latest developments in road safety: European Commission, FERSI, ETSC, IRTAD, FIA, individual research institutes, consultants as well as national, regional and local road safety experts. There was simultaneous interpretation in English and German.

Sessions overview:

• Vision for Decision Support Systems and Tools: What are the stakeholder needs when faced with safety issues?
• Consequences of Crashes: How to document societal costs of crashes in an accessible way for stakeholders?
• Application of the Road Safety Decision Support System in everyday life: Testimonials & user feedback by international respondents
• Hands-on user testing of the DSS with support of SafetyCube “personal trainers”
• Challenges for road safety decision making: Important lessons learned from the development of the Road Safety DSS
• The Future of the European Road Safety Decision Support System: Panel discussion with high-ranking representatives of international institutions

15 December 2017 | Brussels, Belgium

European countries are at an important milestone in the achievement of their road traffic injury reduction targets. Since 2015, the gap between the best and worst-performing EU member states has continued to widen, suggesting that cost-effective measures, enabled by actionable data and technological progress, need to be investigated.

“Road Safety & Innovation – Leveraging new technologies and good practices from Europe and beyond” is an international forum for road safety & technology stakeholders held under the patronage the Ministry of Regional Development & Public Works (MRRB), the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Forum is an international experience-sharing platform that is also fully aligned with ongoing policy initiatives by the European Commission in the fields of road safety and the digital economy. Moreover, as an emerging technological hub with a unique ecosystem of SMEs, Bulgaria offers an ideal setting for forward-looking discussions between industry and governments on innovative pathways to safer road mobility.

The key objective for the Forum is to shed light on the exponential growth in analytical tools and technological enablers, which when supported by an innovation-friendly regulatory and public procurement environment, can enable the delivery of more effective road safety programs.

The Forum will:

• Highlight the potential of analytical tools (risk diagnosis, asset management, etc.) as a means to prioritize safety investments
• Provide a thorough overview of the opportunities and mechanisms to successfully deploy innovative safer road mobility programs
• Present how tomorrow’s streets, vehicles and users will seamlessly connect with one another to offer a safer road environment
• Commit stakeholders to a shared agenda of road safety innovation through public-private sector cooperation.

_____________________

Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Date: 27 March 2017

_____________________

Agenda

8:30am

9:00am

9:45am

11:00am

12:30pm

1:30pm

3:00pm

3:30pm

5:00pm

07 November 2017 | Marrakesh, Morocco

On 10-12 October, the 6th IRTAD Conference “Better Road Safety Data for Better Safety Outcomes” took place in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The conference, organised by the International Transport Forum is aimed at promoting discussions between road authorities, universities and other stakeholders on how to improve the quality of data systems and analysis. The conference fostered knowledge transfer between conference participants through:

• Discussion of methodological issues to improve road safety data collection and analysis at country and city level.
• Showcasing recent initiatives to improve the quality of safety data collection and analysis.
• Presentation of recent research and analysis undertaken by the IRTAD Group.

The ERF, as a partner responsible for the update of the European Road Safety Observatory, was invited to give a presentation on the main achievements of ERSO and to contemplate future data needs. Amongst others, Konstandinos Diamandouros highlighted the need for more in-depth data on risk exposure, safety performance and economic and health indicators.  In addition, he stressed the need for a more uniform approach to serious injuries through the adoption of MAIS3+ methodology.