The EU road network constitutes one of the largest community assets.  However, chronic underfunding and lack of maintenance risk jeopardising in a short time this huge asset, which has been built over the past 50 years at great expense and effort.

A new industrial revolution is currently happening where new technologies can create a better, cleaner and safer transport. The road infrastructure must be part of this change by adapting all its elements to interact with new vehicle technologies. Innovative solutions can also be deployed to monitor current conditions of the road generating data which can be used by infrastructure managers to adequately plan future maintenance and upgrade actions.

The ERF Working Group on Open Data for Better Mobility aims at understanding how this data can be translated into value to provide users an optimal performance of the network while promoting digitalisation and decarbonisation of the sector.

This Working Group represents the sector commitment towards a more sustainable infrastructure.

ERF members have been involved for several years in various initiatives to develop new materials, methodologies, databases or certificates which can be deployed for sustainability assessment of civil engineering works. On the other hand, a main obstacle for the market deployment is the traditional procurement and regulatory framework which prevent a realistic assessment of solutions.

The objective of the Working Group is to promote visibility of the industry contribution which can increase the protection of the environment, while still providing the best quality service to road users. In addition, the ERF aims at promoting a dialogue with road administrations on the successful implementation of the new public procurement rules which can ensure a medium-long term vision to modernise the sector while facing main current challenges as climate change.

Traffic signs help to regulate traffic, provide crucial visual guidance, alert drivers to potential hazards and offer important reaction time while driving.

ERF experts advocate for the correct deployment of signs ensuring their visibility and recognisability during daytime, night-time, bad weather conditions and also to facilitate driving conditions to ageing population.

The Working Group on Signs is highly involved in the adaptation of the infrastructure to connected and autonomous vehicles representing the main guidance element together with markings.

Road maintenance activities are an integral part of upgrading the infrastructure and facilitate deployment of new mobility trends.

Despite the overall safety progress made in the area, road works remain particularly hazardous zones where users and workers are in jeopardy, as driving environment unexpectedly changes. Connected and Autonomus Vehicles still face work areas as main obstacle during their journeys. 

The Work Zone Safety Working Group cooperates with road authorities, stakeholders and standardisation bodies in the research and elaboration of good practices guidelines to ensure a minimum level of safety in those areas.

Road markings represent an active safety measure to provide guidance and spatial awareness to drivers by delineating the boundaries of the road, thereby significantly reducing the risk of head-on and run-off collisions.

The Working Group on Markings brings together industry technical knowledge to create a safe driving environment under poor and weather conditions while adapting the road to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.

Road Restraint Systems are passive safety measures whose role is to mitigate own human mistakes by protecting drivers once they have lost control of their vehicle.

The devise represents one of the most efficient and cost-effective road infrastructure solutions that can reduce the impact of a road accident and the number of fatalities and injuries for the vehicle passengers.