Children 0-16

The International Conference on Young Road Users’ Safety
14 July 2026 11:00 – 18:00
Porsche Bucharest Vest 2, Soseaua Centurii 41, Chiajna, Ilfov
Romania

Annual Review 2025-2026: Road Safety Education Reached 4,742 Students Across the Dodecanese Islands

With the completion of the 2025-2026 school year, EFTHITA. Rhodes - Road Safety Observatory, proudly presents the results of another successful year of road safety education across the Dodecanese Islands.

For the 16th consecutive year, our Ministry of Education-approved educational programme "Safe Road Use -Safe Cycling" has promoted safe mobility among children and young people through interactive, evidence-based learning activities.

16–22 September 2026
Europe
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
To warn road users of a danger on a road section, for instance following an accident, and to divert the traffic in a safe direction, traditionally wind-powered torches made of wax material are used. This solution implies some relevant road safety problems. First, exposure and risks for operators, on one side of being hit by vehicles while torches are placed on the road surface and turned on, on the other side of being wounded by open flames. Furthermore, damage of the asphalt on which torches are placed during use, compromising its useful time, and lack of practicality since they are made of fibrous materials and wax and can’t be extinguished even if no longer needed.
Every year road workers and emergency operators are injured or killed while deploying temporary warning devices in live traffic environments. Flash-Led was conceived to eliminate this exposure by enabling remote deployment of warning systems and significantly improving operator safety.
The present invention relates to a road signalling system aimed to substitute the traditional use of wind-powered torches, allowing an effective signalling of danger and/or obstruction and/or traffic channelling, ensuring the complete operators safety, avoiding infrastructure damages and, furthermore, informing road users through road navigation platforms. The solution includes n. 4 electric movable elements signalling with high visibility LEDs, remotely controlled by an operator from a plurality of possible schemes and arranged in an easily transportable container, which can reports the danger to users through platforms like Google/Waze etc.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
The main road safety challenge we address is the lack of clear, objective insight into real-life traffic behaviour around primary schools. These locations concentrate large numbers of vulnerable and inexperienced road users—particularly children—who face increased risks in complex traffic environments. During school peak hours, traffic volumes intensify within a short time frame. Parents arriving by car, combined with cyclists and pedestrians, create congested and often chaotic situations. This leads to unsafe conditions such as unclear routing, risky crossing behaviour, informal parking, and frequent near-misses. A key issue is that traditional traffic data methods—such as counts, surveys or incidental observations—fail to capture the dynamic interactions between different road users. As a result, many risks remain invisible or are only addressed after incidents occur.
In addition, there is often a mismatch between infrastructure, behaviour and organisation. Measures are frequently implemented in isolation, limiting their effectiveness.
We address these challenges by making risks visible before accidents occur, focusing on school environments where improving everyday safety for children has the greatest societal impact.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Road safety education must begin in early childhood: the knowledge, habits and attitudes acquired at this age shape a child's behaviour in traffic for life and lay the foundations of later responsible, conscious participation in traffic. In today's stimulus-rich world, however, traditional classroom-based theoretical teaching is not sufficiently effective on its own for this age group, so we complement and combine it with experience-based, practical programmes.
The scale of the problem is reflected in accident data. In the European Union, around 20,400 people died in road accidents in 2023, with vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists and powered two-wheeler riders – accounting for almost half of all fatalities. Children form a particularly sensitive group: in Hungary, between 2019 and 2023, 52 children lost their lives and 763 suffered serious injuries on the roads, and a significant share of these cases is attributable not to the children but to the conduct of adult road users. Achieving the EU's and Hungary's transport policy goals and realising Vision Zero requires regular, early-age educational programmes as instruments of long-term societal attitude change.
The programme therefore builds the foundations of safe mobility from ages 4–10 through experience-based, practical education, while also engaging parents and educators.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
In Hungary, traffic education is included in the National Curriculum for primary schools (grades 1–8). However, only a limited number of lessons are devoted to this topic – on average three lessons per year – and teaching focuses mainly on theoretical knowledge. Although children are legally allowed to cycle on public roads (except on main roads before the age of 12), many are not adequately prepared for individual, independent and safe cycling.
Recognizing the importance of theoretical and practical cycling education, the Bringasuli team has been developing educational materials, methodologies for cycling education in primary schools (with a focus on 9–12-year-old pupils), and training-of-trainers programmes to equip teachers with the skills needed to deliver practical cycling training.
Since 2016, through two Erasmus+ projects, Bringasuli has developed a comprehensive cycling education programme and organised several training-of-trainers courses for teachers. As a result, a methodology for practical cycling education in primary schools became available. However, there was no opportunity to implement the programme on a national scale.
In 2024, with the support of Active Hungary, a pilot programme was launched to test and further refine the Bringasuli methodology. The positive results of the pilot led to a much more ambitious initiative for 2025–2026, aiming to involve 12,000 children in a nationwide practical cycling education programme.
The programme targets pupils in grades 4–6 and aims to provide them with practical cycling skills that will enable them to cycle individually, independently and safely in everyday traffic.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
In 2020, we undertook a comprehensive review of our vehicle safety strategy. At that time, our primary focus was on accident management, driver safety, and identifying ways to reduce both the risks our employees faced while driving and the potential risks our vehicles posed to other road users. By "posed," we refer to the fact that our fleet consisted of relatively basic vehicles, with few advanced safety features included as standard.

The initiative presented several challenges. Cost was a significant consideration, as we needed to build a strong business case to justify the additional investment required for enhanced vehicle safety features. We also needed to engage with a workforce that had strong trade union representation, making consultation and communication an essential part of the implementation process.

The programme began with the delivery of our first upgraded vehicles in 2020. At a time when advanced safety technologies attracted a substantial premium, we made a deliberate decision to invest heavily in improving the safety of our fleet. Looking back, that investment has proven to be highly successful. The results have clearly demonstrated the value of prioritising vehicle safety, with a significant positive impact on both driver protection and overall risk reduction.

Operating a national fleet of over 850 vehicles supporting more than 2,000 employees presents a unique range of road safety challenges. Employees travel daily to high-risk environments including railway level crossings, bridges, trackside locations and busy public roads, often transporting specialised equipment and working under time-critical conditions. Protecting employees and other road users while maintaining operational effectiveness remains a key priority.

Before the introduction of GSR, we had already made significant investments in vehicle safety. This included implementing telematics systems, forward- and rear-facing dash cams, and, most importantly, passive safety features across our fleet. These measures helped improve driver behaviour monitoring, incident reporting, and occupant protection. The main challenge was the cost and logistics of upgrading vehicles and ensuring consistent implementation across the fleet. However, by taking a proactive approach to safety rather than waiting for regulatory requirements, we were able to enhance driver and passenger protection, reduce risk, and establish a strong safety culture within the organisation.

One of the principal challenges has been reducing occupational road risk by ensuring that both the driver and vehicle are fit for purpose. Experience gained through managing large commercial fleets has shown that vehicle safety alone is not enough; driver behaviour, competency, fatigue awareness and vehicle utilisation all play a critical role in reducing incidents. Historically, many organisations have relied on reactive measures following collisions. Our approach has been to move towards proactive risk management.

Additional challenges included integrating specialist railway maintenance equipment safely within vehicles, adapting to emerging technologies, and preparing for the transition to electric vehicles without compromising safety standards. The increasing complexity of modern vehicle technology also required continuous education and engagement with drivers to ensure advanced safety systems were fully understood and effectively utilised.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
The Tarandė Street reconstruction project was developed to address several significant road safety challenges in a rapidly growing residential area of Vilnius. Increasing traffic volumes, combined with insufficient infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, created safety risks for vulnerable road users and reduced the attractiveness of active mobility options.
Prior to the project, pedestrian and cycling connections were fragmented, and road users frequently shared space with motor vehicles. The lack of continuous and dedicated infrastructure increased the risk of conflicts between different road users, particularly children, older adults, and people travelling on foot or by bicycle. In addition, traffic speeds and limited visibility in certain areas contributed to an increased risk of road incidents.
The project aimed to improve safety for all road users while prioritising the needs of vulnerable groups. Key objectives included reducing the likelihood and severity of traffic collisions, improving the quality and continuity of pedestrian and cycling routes, enhancing visibility at crossings and intersections, and creating a safer and more accessible public space.
Through the development of new pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, safer street design solutions, and improved connectivity with residential areas and public transport, the project promotes safer travel, encourages sustainable mobility choices, and supports the creation of a more people-centred urban environment. The project contributes to Vilnius City's long-term vision of achieving safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable streets for all.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
The Drogowskaz Programme (Signpost Programme) addresses Poland's persistent road safety crisis, which remains among the EU's most severe. Our diagnosis, drawn from 663 grant applications and 44 funded projects in the 2025 edition identifies three interconnected challenge areas.
In Poland, notable educational gaps persist in the area of practical road safety education. Opportunities for hands‑on learning in real traffic conditions are limited or, in many cases, entirely absent. Only a small number of schools provide practical training in simulated environments, and the overall system places relatively little emphasis on developing consistent, experience‑based safety habits. Emerging risks like: smartphones and headphones distracting pedestrians, e-scooters and varied micromobility remain an issue insufficiently addressed. Adults frequently model and reinforce unsafe behaviours for children because of limited enforcement of traffic regulations.
Infrastructure deficits: rural and small-town areas often lack pavements, cycling paths, road markings, lighting and traffic-calming measures, particularly around schools and kindergartens. Practical training facilities, traffic-education parks are scarce, leaving children without safe spaces to develop cycling and pedestrian skills.
Vulnerable groups: preschoolers, adolescents aged 12-15, deaf children (with virtually no accessible materials), children with disabilities and those from disadvantaged families face systemic exclusion from road safety education. The Drogowskaz Programme reflects the core values of our founding organisation, which has a long‑standing commitment to education, volunteering, emergency response, and comprehensive road‑safety initiatives—both for the wider public and for its own employees.
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