On this page you can find Guidelines and Tools you need to design, implement and evaluate your road safety actions. Especially useful for existing members or any organisation considering joining the Charter.
Excellence in Road Safety Awards
The Charter organises the Excellence in Road Safety Awards annually to recognise its members’ commitment and to provide initiatives with prestigious international recognition. A panel of road safety experts, together with the European Commission, will select the winners based on the criteria outlined below.
The winning initiatives will be announced at the annual awards ceremony in Brussels on Monday 23 November 2026. This year, the Excellence in Road Safety Awards will be held in conjunction with the EU Road Safety Conference, creating a unique opportunity to learn from researchers, policymakers and practitioners of best practices in a single event.
Submitted initiatives must demonstrate that they have effectively addressed a road safety issue. Eligible initiatives may include actions, projects, strategies, campaigns, methods or innovative approaches, provided that their results are visible and measurable.
The main evaluation criteria are:
- Impact and scale: What are the initiative’s results, and what is its realised or expected impact?
- Originality: How unique and innovative is the initiative within its region or country?
- Visibility and dissemination: To what extent has the initiative been promoted and shared?
- Continuity and growth potential: Is there a plan to sustain and develop the initiative in the coming years?
In addition, the type of organisation submitting the initiative and the national road safety context will be taken into account during the evaluation process.
Award Categories 2026
The award categories vary each year to reflect the wide range of road safety initiatives across Europe. For 2026, the categories are:
At Work
This category recognises outstanding road safety initiatives at work. It celebrates initiatives, campaigns, training programmes and events that encourage professional drivers and employees to adopt safe behaviour on the road. It also includes initiatives addressing road safety for roadside workers and employees commuting to and from work.
Education
This category recognises impactful road safety education initiatives from across Europe. It highlights efforts that enhance the skills and knowledge of road users through innovative educational activities. While particular attention is given to initiatives targeting young road users, submissions addressing other groups are also welcome.
Technology
This category recognises initiatives that use technology to improve road safety. It celebrates innovative solutions—including products, systems and processes—that increase the effectiveness and reach of road safety measures, research or activities. Initiatives may target any type of road user and age group, and should demonstrate how technology is driving progress in road safety.
Urban
This category recognises road safety initiatives in urban environments. Cities, municipalities and regional authorities are invited to submit impactful activities, campaigns and strategies that improve safety for all road users in urban areas.
Vulnerable Road Users
This category recognises initiatives that improve the safety of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, users of personal mobility devices, and people with limited mobility. It celebrates efforts that reduce risks while enhancing awareness, knowledge and safe behaviours.
Practical Information
The awards are open only to Charter members. If you are not yet a member, please register here to submit an application.
Registered members can log in to their Charter account and select “Add a new award submission” under “My account.” You may also access the application form directly here (please ensure you are logged in before doing so).
Only applications from EU Member States are eligible for the awards. Submissions from outside these countries may still be published on the Charter website as valuable examples of good practice, but they will not be considered for an award. To submit a good practice, please visit 'My account' (login required).
Submissions are accepted in any official EU language.
If you need support with your submission, please contact your National Charter Ambassador or the Charter helpdesk.
Timescales
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, 3 June 2026.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in September 2026 to prepare for their attendance and participation at the awards ceremony, which will take place on Monday, 23 November 2026, in Brussels and online.
Winners will receive a prestigious trophy, a digital winners’ badge, professional photographs, and a winner’s video. Their achievements will also be prominently featured on the European Road Safety Charter website to celebrate their success and highlight their contribution to advancing road safety.
Submission Process
Title and Award Category
In this section, you are required to provide a title for your initiative or activity. This can be in your chosen EU language; however, you will also be asked to provide an English version of the title later in the form. Please ensure the title is clear and provides insight into your activity.
You will also need to select the award category that best fits your initiative.
Organisation Details
To approve your application, it is important to provide accurate contact information. The Charter team may contact you to request additional information, complement your application, or inform you of your submission's evaluation.
Scope
In this section, you can provide background information on your initiative. What was the main road safety challenge you aimed to address, and which target audience(s) did it include? Explaining the motives behind your initiative will help the judges understand why you chose certain activities.
Project Activities
This section allows you to describe the activities you have carried out. Include details on operational execution, tools used, timeframe, and involvement of other partners or organisations.
Additionally, insights on implementation — what worked well and the challenges you faced — are valuable to understand the potential for replicating your initiative in other regions.
For each question, the submission form provides an approximate word count to help you summarise your information concisely yet sufficiently.
Evaluation
Evaluation is an important part of an action plan. It demonstrates the results and expected impacts of the initiative and can guide modifications to increase positive impact. It also helps convince others to support the initiative.
In this section, describe how your initiative was evaluated, its effectiveness, and how the results were communicated. Indicate how other members could learn from your initiative and whether it could be implemented elsewhere.
Supporting Material
Include additional visuals (photos, videos) or links to posts, web pages, or online accounts. These support the transferability of your submission.
Creativity
Creativity is crucial for exploring new ways to make roads safer. In this section, describe the elements that make your activities stand out.
Further Steps
Explain your plans for the future. This section helps the judges understand how you will continue to improve road safety.
Submitting Your Application
Please ensure all fields in the application are completed in as much detail as possible.
If you wish to save your application but are not ready to submit it, set the status to ‘Draft (Current)’ in the Publishing Options tab and click Save.
When ready to submit your application for review, set the status to ‘Needs Review’ in the Publishing Options tab at the bottom of the form.
Questions?
Contact the ERSC team at: ersc-helpdesk@ricardo.com
What is a member activity?
A member activity is a road safety initiative — for example, an event, campaign, educational course, research project, or pilot programme — that is ongoing or recently completed but does not yet have measurable impact or evaluation results.
Submitting a member activity allows charter members to share their initiatives on the website, showcase their work, and inspire other members, even if the outcomes are not yet measurable. It is a first step toward documenting your initiative and may provide the foundation for submitting it as a Good Practice in the future once measurable results are available.
Tip: If your initiative already has measurable outcomes or proven impact, consider submitting it as a Good Practice instead.
A member activity can be submitted in English or any other European language.
Why submit a member activity?
Submitting your initiative allows you to:
- Showcase your road safety work to other charter members
- Inspire others with your ideas, approaches, or tools
- Share resources, challenges, and lessons learned
- Build a record of your initiatives for future evaluation
Selected activities may also be highlighted on social media, in the charter newsletter, or during charter webinars.
How to submit a member activity
Only members can submit a member activity. Are you not yet a member? Then you can register here.
Once registered, you will have access to the submission form, which guides you through the process.
Describe your activity
You will be asked to describe your activity or initiative. Keep your description simple, clear, and concise.
Include:
- What you did
- Who was involved
- Why it was done
Any lessons learned or key points that might inspire other members
Please include images, videos, or links if possible to help illustrate your initiative.
Saving and reviewing your submission
You can save your input as a "draft" if you are not ready to publish. Or if complete, select "published" before then saving your submission.
You will receive an email notification to advise that your submission is live on the website.
Congratulations! Your initiative is now showcased as a member activity on the European Road Safety Charter website.
Questions?
Contact the ERSC team at: ersc-helpdesk@ricardo.com
What is a Good Practice?
A Good Practice is a road safety initiative — for example, an event, marketing campaign, research project, educational course, or product — that demonstrates a measurable impact. It can be a completed initiative or an ongoing initiative that has already been evaluated.
Impact can be measured in many ways, such as:
- Number of participants in an educational course and their feedback
- Survey results or statistical reports
Impact can be local, regional, national, or international, and even small improvements contribute to safer roads.
If your initiative is still in development and does not yet have measurable results, you can submit it as a member's activity instead.
A Good Practice can be submitted in English or any other European language.
Why submit a Good Practice?
Submitting a Good Practice allows you to showcase your initiative and its impact to other Charter members and inspire them. Selected Good Practices may also be shared more widely:
- On social media
- In the Charter newsletter
- During Charter webinars
Additionally, the Good Practice of the Month spotlight highlights one initiative each month. The ERSC team selects the winner and informs them by email.
How to submit a Good Practice
Only ERSC members can submit a Good Practice. If you are not yet a member, you can register here.
Once registered, you will have access to the submission form, which guides you through the process.
Step 1: General information
Provide basic information, such as:
- Contact details
- Links to your organisation’s website and/or social media
This helps other members learn more about your organisation and get in touch if they want further information.
Step 2: Scope of your initiative
Include general information about your project:
- Project title
- Target audience
- Timing
- Background: why you chose this road safety challenge
This helps other members understand the context and purpose of your initiative.
Step 3: Project activities
Describe your initiative in detail. Consider these questions:
- What activities have you carried out/are carrying out, and over what time period? Provide details in chronological order to help others understand the development and implementation of your project.
- What worked well, and what challenges did you overcome? Highlight successes and lessons learned to benefit other members.
- Who were your most important partners? Describe key partners, their roles, and their impact on your project.
Step 4: Evaluation
Evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of your initiative. Consider:
- How have you evaluated the impact? Examples: social media reach, surveys, feedback forms, statistics
- What has been the effect of the activities? Examples: number of people reached, reduction in crashes, summary of feedback, or results of a new product
- How is your initiative a good example of improving road safety?
- How have you shared information about your project and results? Examples: social media, local press, research articles
Step 5: Supporting Material
Upload pictures, attachments, or other materials to showcase your project.
Saving and reviewing your submission
You can save your input as a draft if you are not ready to publish. Once your submission is complete, mark it as “needs review”. The ERSC team will check your submission for completeness and accuracy.
You will receive an email notification once your submission is approved and live on the website. This typically takes about one week. The ERSC team may contact you if more information is required.
Congratulations! Your initiative is now showcased as a Good Practice for the European Road Safety Charter.
Questions?
Contact the ERSC team at: ersc-helpdesk@ricardo.com
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