For specific themes or issues, as its own initiative or on demand, FERSI can install a dedicated working group. The output can be a scientific paper or report with the latest knowledge on a specific issue, a position paper on new developments and related research gaps, or an advise on current policy issue or research needs. Previous FERSI working groups dealt with a variety of topics including vulnerable road users, vehicle automation, serious injuries, road safety economics, road safety management, and safety performance indicators.
FERSI publications
Extended summaries
On 6 and 7 October 2022 a FERSI conference took place in The Hague, the Netherlands, titled Implementing evidence-based road safety measures – Removing barriers and enhancing public support. The extended summaries of the keynotes and the oral and poster presentations are available here.
Column: Road safety must remain a priority for public authorities
The second FERSI column by Dominique Mignot, Université Gustave Eiffel and vice-president of FERSI, calls for continued attention for road safety despite the many other challenges that the world is facing.
Column: Bicycles are dangerous
The first FERSI column comes from FERSI President and SWOV’s Deputy Director Rob Eenink, titled Bicycles are dangerous.
FERSI supports Streets for Life #Love30
‘Streets for Life’ is the slogan of the 6th UN Global Traffic Safety Week (17 – 23 May 2021), calling for 30 km/h speed limits to be the norm for cities, towns and villages worldwide. FERSI supports this call, pointing at the importance of a low speed, in particular in urban environments with its many pedestrians and cyclists.
E-scooters in Europe: legal status, usage and safety - Results of a survey in FERSI countries (2020)
Based on the input from FERSI members, this FERSI paper presents the legal status, usage and safety of e-scooters in 18 European countries. E-scooters are allowed in most of these countries. However, their legal status differs, e.g. related to the position on the road, the maximum speed, and helmet obligation. Many countries are working on more targeted or more elaborate legislation. The objective information about numbers, safety, users and their behaviour is scarce.
Safety through automation? Ensuring that automated and connected driving contribute to a safer transportation system (2020)
This paper was prepared for the (cancelled) TRA2020 conference. It discusses the main outcomes of report on automated driving (AD) from a road safety point of view, prepared by a FERSI Working Group. The paper presents the ten principles to be fulfilled in order to optimise the safety effects of AD as well as a number of recommended actions.
Towards an evidence-based national road safety programme – a two-stage approach (2020)
This FERSI position paper intends to offer guidance to Member States on developing a national road safety programme. Its main message is that a road safety programme must be based on scientifically sound evidence in order to ensure that it focuses on the most relevant issues (made a correct ‘diagnosis’) and implements the most appropriate treatments (selected the best ‘therapy’). The paper results in five concrete recommendations for both the diagnosis and the therapy stages
Guidelines for assessing mobile phone use in road traffic (2019)
This FERSI paper focuses on one of the main key performance indicators in the area of road safety in current times, namely mobile phone use in traffic. It sets out the scientifically valid methodological approach for assessing the prevalence of mobile phone use of car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians through on-road observations and self-reports. It presents a total of 55 recommendations related to, for example, variable definition, selection of locations and timing, sample size, non-response, and data weighing.
FERSI supports EC policy on KPIs (2019)
In this statement, FERSI supports the EC’s policy on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It acknowledges their usefulness for both monitoring road safety developments, and identifying the most promising interventions. It also describes the main prerequisites for an effective KPI policy.
FERSI calls for a road safety mission in Horizon Europe (2019)
FERSI calls for a road safety mission in Horizon Europe. FERSI statement for EC officials, national contact points and road safety organisations. In this short document FERSI clarifies and substantiates the need for further research and innovation in the area of road safety in order to meet the ambitious European objective of halving the number of road fatalities and serious injuries in the next decade, and having a road without victims in 2050.