In a new column, FERSI member Markus Deublein from the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) argues that safe automated driving cannot be achieved by smarter vehicles alone. Drawing on a wide body of European research on connected and automated mobility, he identifies eight key priorities for infrastructure — from managing the risks of the mixed-traffic transition phase to building robust digital safety layers and ensuring cross-border interoperability. His central message is clear: roads must evolve from passive surfaces into active, intelligent partners, and when safety and efficiency come into tension, it is safety that must set the direction.
