SOTERIA & DEKRA´s vision of zero road fatalities on European roads - Navigating the future of a safer urban mobility
Over the past few years, there has been a notable rise in the number of vehicles on the roads in European cities, accompanied by a parallel increase in the availability of micro-mobility services. Moreover, empirical evidence from Germany indicates a surge in the incidence of pedestrian accidents. In the year 2023, for example, approximately 30,000 pedestrians sustained injuries in road traffic accidents – 1994 more than the 27,841 incidents in 2022. Similarly, there has been an approximate 5% increase in the number of accidents involving pedelecs compared to 19,557 incidents recorded in the previous year and a 13% increase compared to the 8133 incidents involving e-scooters in 2022.
The global expansion of alternative mobility solutions for vulnerable road users (VRUs) alongside pedestrians and cyclists has resulted in a diversification of accident patterns. Notwithstanding a reduction in the number of accidents involving bicycles, VRUs remain at risk of fatal collisions with motorised vehicles and between the different VRU groups. In an urban environment, there is a multitude of different types of VRUs, which leads to numerous conflicts. Furthermore, the vulnerability of micro-mobility users remains a significant concern with a heightened risk of injury and potential for severe injury. Therefore, data from the German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) and DEKRA accident databases provide a valuable additional insight.
DEKRA is a leading company in the field of accident statistics and traffic monitoring among other areas. The SOTERIA project responsibility was handed over internal from DEKRA Digital, who were previously partners in this Horizon Europe project and are experts in digital data and services, to DEKRA Automobil GmbH. The role of DEKRA in the project is to assess and evaluate traffic risks, to identify accident hotspots, and to highlight vulnerable mobility concepts. In this regard, DEKRA has devised a distinctive map which enables the visualisation of potential hazards, and which plays an essential role in SOTERIA. The DEKRA Vision Zero Map is a comprehensive and systematic documentation of all municipalities with a population exceeding 50,000 that have sustained the objective of at least one year without fatalities resulting from traffic accidents in built-up areas since 2009. Several cities and towns across the globe have already achieved the aim to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on the road. The respective colour indicates the number of years, as illustrated on DEKRA Vision Zero.
The concept of Vision Zero was initially developed in Sweden and has since been adopted as a road safety strategy in 26 countries. These include Germany, Greece, Spain, and the United Kingdom, all countries with SOTERIA partnerships. DEKRA provides expertise in road safety, developing measures and decisions related to traffic policy for a targeted and standardised approach to the validation of safety systems and services within a city.
Another contribution to the SOTERIA project is the integration of the solutions and risk assessment frameworks. This is achieved by supporting the evaluations of the experiments carried out in the Living Labs and in developing a conceptual framework based on the DEKRA Vision Zero Map. In addition, a comprehensive examination is conducted to investigate the local impact of each measure implemented in the Living Labs on road safety, and to elucidate the potential interrelationships between disparate aspects in discussion with the project partners. This objective can be attained by synthesising and integrating the knowledge derived from the various disciplines of accident research. In collaboration with 14 other partners from 7 European countries, DEKRA aims to facilitate safer mobility for VRUs and the sustainable integration of micro-mobility users in European cities.
This piece has been authored by DEKRA
Photo credits (title photo): Cargo bike and e-scooter - safe and clean routing for VRUs in the city” / source: DEKRA