Safety & Security

The Safety and Security Working Group is dedicated to advancing the safety and security of urban mobility systems, with a particular emphasis on protecting vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and those using public transport or shared micromobility. 

In light of the growing mobility issues in urban areas, the goal is to guarantee not just enhanced safety, but also a higher level of security for all users of streets and public transport networks.

In terms of safety, the Working Group advocates the implementation of key frameworks such as the New Paradigm for Safe City Streets and the Vision Zero approach, with the objective of supporting cities in their transition towards zero road fatalities and serious injury scenarios. It encourages capacity building among stakeholders and focuses on comprehensive road safety strategies such as speed management and traffic calming measures. The Group also seeks to integrate road safety goals with sustainable mobility principles, advancing projects like low-traffic neighbourhoods, safe cycling networks, and shared spaces that promote greener, safer urban environments. Data-driven approaches are central to the Group’s work, leveraging both quantitative data on crashes and near misses, and qualitative data for proactive safety assessments. Additionally, the Working Group addresses the challenges and opportunities posed by new vehicle types and technologies, including autonomous vehicles and e-bikes, ensuring that policy and legislation keep pace with these developments.

In terms of security, the Group addresses issues such as gender-based sexual violence in public transport and uses Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to improve transport infrastructure security. It also investigates the implications of the environmental crisis on urban transport systems, ensuring that public infrastructure remains resilient in the face of changing climatic conditions.

Topic priorities for 2025

Our current topic priorities for 2025 are the following:

• Road Safety: capacity building for Safe System, Vision Zero, and the New Paradigm for Safe City Streets: strengthening and modernising organisational capabilities to effectively implement advanced road safety frameworks; strategies and measures for speed reduction, including blanket speed limit reductions, design adjustments, enforcement strategies, and communication tactics to enhance compliance and safety; integrating road safety with sustainable mobility through low-traffic neighbourhoods, safe cycling networks, school zones, and shared spaces that prioritise vulnerable road users; comprehensive risk assessment and prediction methodologies using both quantitative crash and near-miss data and qualitative insights to consistently evaluate network safety; addressing the safety implications of emerging vehicle types and technologies, such as electric and light electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and the rise of platform work; effective communication of policies that may restrict motorised traffic, like speed limit reductions, to foster public understanding, mitigate backlash, and facilitate successful implementation;
• Transport Security: sexual harassment and violent crime in public transport: solutions in areas where local and regional authorities have direct control, i.e. rolling stock (buses, trams, subways, regional trains), operations (network design, special services), fixed infrastructure (stops, stations, mobility hubs), and pedestrian access routes; security risks posed by climate change: direct and indirect challenges for transport infrastructure, e.g. floods, heat waves, and environment-related crises, including public health emergencies and energy shortages.