Estonia

Drivers often find themselves in unexpected situations where the appearance of an emergency vehicle causes anxiety and uncertainty. A wrong decision in such a moment can lead to an accident or delay, which in turn may affect the efficiency of rescue operations or even the chance to save lives. The mission of the project is to help prevent such situations by providing drivers with clear and practical guidelines on how to act in these high-stress moments.

In addition to its practical value, the project also has a broader societal goal — to improve traffic culture and make it safer not only for everyday road users but also for professional drivers such as rescuers, paramedics, and police officers. When all road users understand the importance of emergency vehicles and know how to respond consistently, the entire traffic system functions more effectively. This contributes to creating a safe and considerate traffic environment where people feel responsible not only for their own safety but also for the safety of others.

With this project, we contribute to the development of courses by offering standardized, consistent quality for various risk groups.
To provide substantive expertise through a new technical solution. This solution simplifies the explanation of complex traffic risks.

The main road safety challenge addressed in this initiative was ensuring the safety of both pedestrians and drivers along the main street of Põlva, Estonia. This road segment experiences a high daily traffic volume—around 5,000 vehicles, including heavy trucks—while also serving as a key pedestrian route for people commuting to work, school, or public services.
From a safety perspective, the road presents multiple risks: its hilly and winding layout can distract drivers and encourage speeding, and the growing use of light mobility vehicles such as bicycles and scooters increases the complexity of traffic interactions. These conditions create a hazardous environment for vulnerable road users.
The Bercman Smart Road represents a forward-looking approach to urban street design—one where all road users are given equal priority, and the focus shifts away from cars alone. The system is designed to encourage drivers to reflect on their behaviour and increase their awareness of pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, it recognises that vulnerable road users are not always easily visible and provides intelligent support systems to help drivers notice and respond to them more effectively.

Motorcycle drivers are often involved in accidents or the outcome is worsened because of lack of skills. Our goal is to improve the skills and techniques of everyday motorcycle riders to better handle emergency situations and/or prevent driving off the road. The amount of driving lessons in driving schools is not sufficient and the quality varies. Also, there are plenty of riders who got their license a long time ago where the training was non-existent. Fortunately the situation is getting better but is still far from perfect.

The main road safety challenge that was tackled in this initiative is safety of the pedestrians and drivers on the main street of Põlva. The daily traffic volume on this road segment is high, with approximately 5000 vehicles, including trucks, passing through it every day. Simultaneously, high number of pedestrians use the same road daily to get to work or school. From a traffic safety perspective, this road segment is challenging – the hilly and winding road can distract drivers from speed limits, and the increased prevalence of light vehicles (bicycles, scooters etc) further amplifies the danger of this situation.
Smart Road is a vision of the future street, where all road users are equally preferred, and the emphasis is no longer solely on cars. Smart Road is designed to encourage drivers to objectively consider their traffic behaviour and to pay more attention to vulnerable road users. At the same time, the creators of Smart Road understand that vulnerable road users are indeed more difficult to notice, and effective solutions must be provided to assist drivers in focusing their attention on them.

Low driving skills after completing driving school and driving exams. Weak evaluation on examine driving tests. Seasonal challenges, where after a winter period, when one starts to drive motorcycles again, the mind knows but body and muscular memory has forgotten vital survival skills. Motorcycle drivers tend to find themselves in an unexpected situations, where they do not know or do not remember how to survive sudden traffic situations. Especially at higher speeds.