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:

3 October 2017 | Brussels, Belgium

On 21 September, the ERF, in cooperation with IRF and the TRB, organised the 5th European edition of the AFB 20 (2) Roadside Safety Committee on International Research Activities.  Co-chaired by Michael Dreznes and Francesca La Torre, the event gathered around 90 participants from industry, certification bodies, academia and road authorities.

The first session of the event was dedicated to new research initiatives linked to roadside safety including the durability of safety barriers, evaluation of soil conditions and provision of updated guidelines for roadside safety in European roads.

The second session focused on industry developments in roadside safety for both safety barriers and passive safety support structures.  It included, amongst others, numerical performance assessment of bridge anti-falling load systems and the development of passive safety cabinets based on EN 12767.

The event was concluded by a panel debate on ‘Transitioning standards into real-life performance’. The five panelists, representing road authorities, safety experts and industry, debated how current performances standards can be improved in order to ensure better reproducibility of results on the road.  In addition, the need for a more coherent approach for certification bodies was discussed to ensure a level playing field for the sector.