Our November spotlight features the project Fraunhofer IVI Accident Prevention School (FAPS) established by Fraunhofer Research Centre in Dresden, Germany. The project aims to reduce the risk of traffic accidents involving young people aged between 13 – 16 years by providing road safety training that helps them understand risks and foster safer behaviour.
Why this initiative has been recognised as Good Practice of the Month
This initiative has been selected for its innovative and impactful approach to road safety education. By combining virtual reality technology with real accident data from local road environments, the program offers an engaging way to raise awareness among young people. FAPS also stands out for its adaptability as it allows other organisations to tailor the training model making it a scalable and transferable best practice.
Key inspiration behind the initiative
The project was driven by the need to address both the rising crash rates among young road users and the gap in road safety education for 13-16 year olds. The deaths among cyclists have increased by 27% in Germany, highlighting the growing vulnerability of this group. Additionally, existing road safety education targets younger children and new drivers, leaving a gap when young people gain independence and travel more often alone either by cycling or walking which increases their risk to crashes. FAPS bridges this educational gap by using virtual reality to create immersive learning experiences that helps students understand traffic risks from multiple perspectives and develop safer behaviour.
Project activities and class content:
Launched in 2018, FAPS has been taught in schools across Germany in Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Koblenz and Brandenburg. The project will also be expanded to schools in Munich and Berlin in 2025.
The training involves three classes consisting of 5 modules:
- Module 1 – analysing crash locations in their school environment using maps, determining their own risk exposure, and discussing alternative safe routes to school.
- Module 2 – analysing accident data with groups investigating and presenting questions about the causes of crashes, injuries, and age groups.
- Module 3 – students assess accident reports to identify causes and typical risky traffic situations.
- Module 4 – digital simulation using virtual reality so students can reenact crashes and experience the perspectives of those involved and understand the issue of obstructed visibility.
- Module 5 – immersive virtual reality analysis to reconstruct critical situations so that, in the future, students understand how to stay safe and reduce their risk of being involved in a road accident.
Outcomes of the initiative
FAPS has proven highly effectively in strengthening road safety awareness among young people and has consistently received positive feedback. After the training sessions, students complete a questionnaire on the user-friendliness of the virtual reality glasses and their understanding of the training. Evaluations show that 100% of participants gained new knowledge from the Virtual Reality module and found the learning experience impactful and realistic especially after learning about the risks of the blind spot. By directly showing them accident scenarios from their local school environment the students said they were able to relate the experience to their own lives and apply what they learned in real situations. Therefore, FAPS serves as a valuable scheme to complement existing road safety education.
The FAPS project has already reached hundreds of students across Germany and continues to grow, with strong public interest through media coverage and conference presentations. This attention reflects its success as an innovative and valuable complement to existing road safety education.
For more information
Read more about the project here – explore the project’s activities and outcomes in further detail.
If you want to develop a similar strategy at a national level, contact the project lead, Nora Strauzenberg at nora.strauzenberg@ivi.fraunhofer.de.
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