Road safety
In urban areas, 68% of road fatalities involve vulnerable road users (VRUs) like pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and people with disabilities. Efforts to improve road safety have traditionally focused on vehicles and infrastructure, which has notably reduced road fatalities in recent decades.
However, fatalities among VRUs have declined at a slower rate. To create safer and more sustainable urban mobility, strategies must address the evolving dynamics of new vehicle types (e.g., autonomous and light electric vehicles) and technologies (e.g., platform-based work). These emerging factors can contribute to an increase in serious injuries and fatalities for these users, who may only account for 3% of vehicle kilometres driven in European cities, but up to 30% of serious injuries and fatalities in some areas.
About POLIS work
POLIS collaborates with the International Transport Forum’s (ITF) Safer City Streets network, gathering critical data on crashes, injuries, and fatalities to support evidence-based road safety measures. Additionally, through its Safety and Security Working Group, POLIS members share insights to improve road safety.
POLIS is also a participant in EU-funded projects such as PHOEBE, which focuses on enhancing VRU safety via interdisciplinary traffic simulation and safety assessments, and supports projects like ELABORATOR and UPPER that adopt comprehensive road safety approaches.


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ACEM and FIM launch EU campaign to promote safer motorcycling

Vehicle safety standards must stay out of the EU-US trade disputes

Fewer road injuries in Brussels in 2024, but serious cases increase amid EU-Wide concerns

ETSC once again discusses risks of US-EU vehicle equivalence amid warnings on road safety

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Celebrating youth climate changemakers on World Cities Day 2024

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