Initiative details
Road crashes is a major societal problem worldwide, especially in cities where pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are highly exposed and vulnerable in case of a collision. The new policy of city-wide 30 km/h speed limit is intended to ensure vulnerable road users’ safety accounting for 70% of deaths in road crashes in urban areas in Europe.
Scientists urge continuously for lower speeds; however, speeding remains a model and sought behaviour among most drivers and riders, especially the young. The voices of vulnerable road users for less speeding remain weak towards our long-established car and speed-centred societies.
The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) launched the innovative and original 30 Marathons in 30 months campaign (www.georgeruns30x30.com), aimed at promoting city-wide 30 km/h speed limit in all cities worldwide, as a key policy for safer, healthier and greener cities for all. The NTUA campaign was implemented by the internationally renowned NTUA Professor George Yannis, who is ranked 2nd in Europe and 9th worldwide in road safety science, and supported by the NTUA Road Safety Observatory (https://www.nrso.ntua.gr), a Centre of Research and Innovation Excellence on road safety with global recognition.
This impactful campaign represents a major shift towards a more human-centred approach to urban planning, where people are at the heart of design decisions.
Scientists urge continuously for lower speeds; however, speeding remains a model and sought behaviour among most drivers and riders, especially the young. The voices of vulnerable road users for less speeding remain weak towards our long-established car and speed-centred societies.
The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) launched the innovative and original 30 Marathons in 30 months campaign (www.georgeruns30x30.com), aimed at promoting city-wide 30 km/h speed limit in all cities worldwide, as a key policy for safer, healthier and greener cities for all. The NTUA campaign was implemented by the internationally renowned NTUA Professor George Yannis, who is ranked 2nd in Europe and 9th worldwide in road safety science, and supported by the NTUA Road Safety Observatory (https://www.nrso.ntua.gr), a Centre of Research and Innovation Excellence on road safety with global recognition.
This impactful campaign represents a major shift towards a more human-centred approach to urban planning, where people are at the heart of design decisions.
Initiative date
to
Who was/is your target audience?
Policy makers
Public authorities
Children 0-16
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Parents
Seniors
Company employees
Fleet operators
Car drivers
Car drivers – professional
Educational staff
Emergency services
Public transport
Van drivers
Lorry/truck drivers
Cyclists
Micromobility riders
Powered two wheeler riders (excluding micromobility)
Pedestrians
Others
Topic
Create awareness
Organisation details
The NTUA Road Safety Observatory (NRSO)
School / Research centre
Greece
Athens
Contact name
George Yannis
Telephone number
+30.210.7721326
geyannis@central.ntua.gr
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
This innovative and original campaign of 30 Marathons in 30 months has mobilized large synergies with key stakeholders and the society. In particular, the campaign was implemented with the active support of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and several key International Organisations dedicated to road safety and sustainable urban mobility (ETSC, ECTRI, UITP, POLIS, ERF, IRF, FERSI, FEHRL, ECF, WALK21, Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers). Joining forces with key partners who believed on the importance of 30 km/h speed limits and engaging in fruitful discussions about the common quest for slower speeds, was a key policy for healthier, safer and more sustainable cities.
These external partners helped raise awareness, organized events, promoted the NTUA campaign, supported wide dissemination of its message for city-wide 30 km/h speed limit and fostered dialogue at both local and international levels. Their active involvement and collaboration were essential in achieving the global impact of the NTUA campaign.
These external partners helped raise awareness, organized events, promoted the NTUA campaign, supported wide dissemination of its message for city-wide 30 km/h speed limit and fostered dialogue at both local and international levels. Their active involvement and collaboration were essential in achieving the global impact of the NTUA campaign.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
The innovative and original campaign of 30 Marathons in 30 months was launched on July 23, 2022 and implemented by NTUA Prof. George Yannis and his team, with the ambitious goal to complete 30 Marathons in 30 months for city-wide 30 km/h speed limits. This campaign has mobilized large synergies with key stakeholders and the society and was concluded in November 2024 in Athens (all Marathons in under 4 hours) with a particularly significant global impact.
This impactful campaign was accompanied by extensive media outreach in 25 major European cities, including press, tv and radio coverage and a highly effective social media presence that achieved significant reach and engagement in terms of views and likes. It has attracted over 500,000 pageviews annually and reached an audience of more than 100,000 through social media, with 45 dedicated posts and over 200 reposts by scientific Organisations and Institutions, generating 80,000+ impressions. All media interventions available at: https://georgeruns30x30.com/media
The campaign's impact was further substantiated through the first-ever two high-quality scientific review papers, conducted and published by Prof. George Yannis' scientific research team, with meta-analyses of implementation and effectiveness of city-wide 30 km/h schemes in several European cities:
- Simulation studies: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S002243752400152X
- Implementation results: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4382
The findings of these two reviews are now referenced worldwide to substantiate the need for city-wide 30km/h speed limits.
This impactful campaign was accompanied by extensive media outreach in 25 major European cities, including press, tv and radio coverage and a highly effective social media presence that achieved significant reach and engagement in terms of views and likes. It has attracted over 500,000 pageviews annually and reached an audience of more than 100,000 through social media, with 45 dedicated posts and over 200 reposts by scientific Organisations and Institutions, generating 80,000+ impressions. All media interventions available at: https://georgeruns30x30.com/media
The campaign's impact was further substantiated through the first-ever two high-quality scientific review papers, conducted and published by Prof. George Yannis' scientific research team, with meta-analyses of implementation and effectiveness of city-wide 30 km/h schemes in several European cities:
- Simulation studies: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S002243752400152X
- Implementation results: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4382
The findings of these two reviews are now referenced worldwide to substantiate the need for city-wide 30km/h speed limits.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
The implementation of the NTUA campaign of 30 Marathons in 30 months was carried out with scientific planning and preparation, systematic effort and continuous monitoring and dedication. The combination of academic expertise with a strong road safety challenge (running 30 Marathons in 30 months) proved highly powerful in attracting attention and raising awareness on the effectiveness of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits.
Nevertheless, significant challenges had to be addressed. Speeding remains today a standard and desired behaviour among most drivers and riders and is too often promoted or largely tolerated by society, the Authorities and the industry.
There is, however, an increasing societal debate on the implementation of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits. In reality, changes for safer and more sustainable mobility are driven through the debate between society and the Authorities, which in recent years have often appeared hesitant to confront initial public resistance, despite bold examples in Paris, Brussels, Spain, Wales and others. Wherever new car traffic restrictions measures are implemented, both for public transport priority and speed limits, there are reactions, inertia and strong debate.
All these challenges have been addressed by this innovative and original campaign through targeted communication, scientific evidence and sustained advocacy. The NTUA campaign contributed significantly to improving road safety and raising social awareness, while also strengthening public and political support for safer speed policies.
Nevertheless, significant challenges had to be addressed. Speeding remains today a standard and desired behaviour among most drivers and riders and is too often promoted or largely tolerated by society, the Authorities and the industry.
There is, however, an increasing societal debate on the implementation of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits. In reality, changes for safer and more sustainable mobility are driven through the debate between society and the Authorities, which in recent years have often appeared hesitant to confront initial public resistance, despite bold examples in Paris, Brussels, Spain, Wales and others. Wherever new car traffic restrictions measures are implemented, both for public transport priority and speed limits, there are reactions, inertia and strong debate.
All these challenges have been addressed by this innovative and original campaign through targeted communication, scientific evidence and sustained advocacy. The NTUA campaign contributed significantly to improving road safety and raising social awareness, while also strengthening public and political support for safer speed policies.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
The NTUA campaign of 30 Marathons in 30 months has sparked vivid public discussion and engagement, with numerous comments and reactions across social media and platforms, all of which were addressed thoughtfully and transparently. This impactful campaign is widely referenced by the global road safety community, while several cities that have implemented or are planning to implement city-wide 30 km/h speed limits have cited the NTUA review studies in their official documentation. This demonstrates the initiative’s individual impact, with policymakers, stakeholders and society making direct reference to its findings and results.
The innovative and original campaign has received widespread publicity across TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and social media, as well as in scientific journals, conferences and workshops. The key message of the campaign has been further disseminated through 35 interviews in electronic media, 46 articles in newspapers and magazines, 28 presentations at conferences and webinars and 3 scientific journal publications. With steadily more than 20,000 visits per month, the NTUA campaign continues to be widely recognized initiative in the global road safety community.
Most importantly, the wealth and high value of this initiative are evaluated and demonstrated by the fact that the 30 Marathons in 30 months campaign contents appear very high in every road safety related internet search by most search engines.
The innovative and original campaign has received widespread publicity across TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and social media, as well as in scientific journals, conferences and workshops. The key message of the campaign has been further disseminated through 35 interviews in electronic media, 46 articles in newspapers and magazines, 28 presentations at conferences and webinars and 3 scientific journal publications. With steadily more than 20,000 visits per month, the NTUA campaign continues to be widely recognized initiative in the global road safety community.
Most importantly, the wealth and high value of this initiative are evaluated and demonstrated by the fact that the 30 Marathons in 30 months campaign contents appear very high in every road safety related internet search by most search engines.
What has been the effect of the activities?
The NTUA campaign of 30 Marathons in 30 months has had a measurable and wide-reaching impact at local, national and international level. Through extensive media coverage, scientific publications and social media outreach, the campaign has reached more than 100,000 people in Greece, Europe and beyond, including decision-makers, road safety professionals and engaged citizens. Its key message was embraced and referenced by cities already implementing or preparing to implement city-wide 30 km/h limits, including Paris, Brussels, Wales and Ireland.
The campaign played a catalytic role in influencing the Greek Government to include at the new Greek Road Code the mandatory 30 km/h speed limit in all urban areas (except for main axes), which is expected to be voted in June 2025. Similarly, in Ireland, this policy has been integrated into the national road safety strategy, with direct reference to the campaign’s scientific work. The campaign also contributed to raising awareness and policy adoption across numerous European cities that are now moving toward safer speed regulations.
This initiative stands out for its cost-effectiveness, evidence-based foundation and alignment with broader safe mobility efforts, supporting broader European road safety strategies. Its integration into national plans confirms both its practical impact and its contribution to a growing culture of safer, people-first urban mobility.
The campaign played a catalytic role in influencing the Greek Government to include at the new Greek Road Code the mandatory 30 km/h speed limit in all urban areas (except for main axes), which is expected to be voted in June 2025. Similarly, in Ireland, this policy has been integrated into the national road safety strategy, with direct reference to the campaign’s scientific work. The campaign also contributed to raising awareness and policy adoption across numerous European cities that are now moving toward safer speed regulations.
This initiative stands out for its cost-effectiveness, evidence-based foundation and alignment with broader safe mobility efforts, supporting broader European road safety strategies. Its integration into national plans confirms both its practical impact and its contribution to a growing culture of safer, people-first urban mobility.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
The NTUA campaign of 30 Marathons in 30 months has a particularly significant social impact, as depicted by international findings. In the first global survey conducted and published by Prof. George Yannis' scientific research team, evaluation results from 40 different cities across Europe (including Paris, London, Brussels, and Helsinki) demonstrated that city-wide 30 km/h speed limits have led to significant reductions: 37% of road crash fatalities, 18% in emissions, 2.5dB in noise pollution and 7% in fuel consumption (on average). These impressive outcomes highlight the campaign's achievement in not only raising awareness but also in driving meaningful changes in cities in terms of safety, energy, environment, traffic and public health.
In another review study based on simulation studies, conducted by NTUA, it was revealed that reduced speed limits create progressively a friendly environment for pedestrians and cyclists, making it safer and more enjoyable for them to travel on foot or by bike but also on public transport. Lower speeds reduce reliance on individual vehicles and leads to gradual modal shift from passenger cars to Public Transport and shared and active travelling, which in turn creates new opportunities for redistribution of public space towards a healthier lifestyle and higher quality of life in cities.
The NTUA campaign stands as a good example of effective road safety advocacy. This highly impactful and innovative successful campaign from NTUA demonstrated that city-wide 30km/h speed limit the since-long waited single road safety measure with such significant benefits at such a low cost; with a high societal impact with such a small change in our habits. In fact, it is more than a simple new traffic rule, it is a catalyser for a new safe mobility culture.
Certainly, the contribution of the NTUA campaign in order to save lives on the road can only be indirect. However, the contribution of this campaign is considered highly significant as it supports decisions at all levels (local, regional, national and international), including the highest political commitment, which in turn have a great direct impact on saving massively lives on the road. Scientific evidence, guides road safety decisions of the Authorities and the society and supports building capacity and motivating all people involved on road safety management at all levels.
Under this perspective, the contribution of NRSO in reducing road fatalities during the last 20 years and lately of the 30 km/h campaign is very significant, especially in Europe, the principal area of NRSO activities. NRSO together with its network of Authorities, Research Institutes, Industry and experts were key contributors to driving change, building capacity and changing road safety culture in Europe and the blatant reduction of road fatalities since 2004 can certainly co-attributed to them.
In another review study based on simulation studies, conducted by NTUA, it was revealed that reduced speed limits create progressively a friendly environment for pedestrians and cyclists, making it safer and more enjoyable for them to travel on foot or by bike but also on public transport. Lower speeds reduce reliance on individual vehicles and leads to gradual modal shift from passenger cars to Public Transport and shared and active travelling, which in turn creates new opportunities for redistribution of public space towards a healthier lifestyle and higher quality of life in cities.
The NTUA campaign stands as a good example of effective road safety advocacy. This highly impactful and innovative successful campaign from NTUA demonstrated that city-wide 30km/h speed limit the since-long waited single road safety measure with such significant benefits at such a low cost; with a high societal impact with such a small change in our habits. In fact, it is more than a simple new traffic rule, it is a catalyser for a new safe mobility culture.
Certainly, the contribution of the NTUA campaign in order to save lives on the road can only be indirect. However, the contribution of this campaign is considered highly significant as it supports decisions at all levels (local, regional, national and international), including the highest political commitment, which in turn have a great direct impact on saving massively lives on the road. Scientific evidence, guides road safety decisions of the Authorities and the society and supports building capacity and motivating all people involved on road safety management at all levels.
Under this perspective, the contribution of NRSO in reducing road fatalities during the last 20 years and lately of the 30 km/h campaign is very significant, especially in Europe, the principal area of NRSO activities. NRSO together with its network of Authorities, Research Institutes, Industry and experts were key contributors to driving change, building capacity and changing road safety culture in Europe and the blatant reduction of road fatalities since 2004 can certainly co-attributed to them.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
The NTUA campaign of 30 Marathons in 30 months has received very wide publicity in the tv, radio, newspapers, magazines and the social media, as well as in scientific journals, conferences and workshops, with the active support of NTUA and several International Organisations (ETSC, ECTRI, UITP, Polis, ERF, IRF, FERSI, FEHRL, ECF, Walk21).
The results are well known at national and international level, as depicted by the two first ever published scientific reviews of city-wide 30 km/h speed limit benefits in Europe:
- Implementation results: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4382
- Simulation studies: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S002243752400152X
as well as
- Cost benefit analysis: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X24001445
The results are well known at national and international level, as depicted by the two first ever published scientific reviews of city-wide 30 km/h speed limit benefits in Europe:
- Implementation results: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4382
- Simulation studies: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S002243752400152X
as well as
- Cost benefit analysis: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X24001445
