Company employees

The main challenge addressed by this practice is the traditional barrier to entry for deep-tech innovation: the need for large, specialized, and expensive development teams. This often slows down a project's ability to adapt and innovate, especially for mission-driven initiatives with limited initial resources.

The primary challenge we address is not a single road safety issue, but the systemic limitation of a reactive mindset. Current technology platforms often create data monopolies, lack interoperability, and are driven by profit motives rather than public interest. This creates a barrier to building a truly integrated, trustworthy, and proactive safety ecosystem that public authorities can rely on and help shape.

The first major challenge was to make this pastoral action known within the Church's own structure in Ourense. The CEE's Road Pastoral Department was created in Spain more than 50 years ago, but in many dioceses, no initiatives are carried out and priests are unaware of it. The surprising thing was that families, communities, and neighbors, as soon as we began working on these initiatives, began to follow us, asking for more action, and feeling supported in the loneliness caused by the loss of a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, or a car accident. Every year, the number of people participating in the scheduled sessions increases.

Our initiative addresses critical road safety challenges that are often overlooked in traditional driver education. Most driving schools focus on basic vehicle operation, but not on real-life risk anticipation, distraction management, or defensive mindset.

Key problems tackled by our VR Defensive Driving System include:

Driver distraction, especially due to smartphones and infotainment systems

Poor anticipation of traffic risks, particularly in urban and mixed traffic

Lack of situational awareness and understanding of the “big picture” around the vehicle

Insufficient consideration for other road users, including vulnerable groups

Specific risks related to pedestrians and cyclists, especially in city environments

Our project empowers drivers of all ages and experience levels to build mental habits that keep them and others safe – by learning to observe more, react earlier, and drive smarter.

One of the key challenges in modern road safety is ensuring that driver assistance systems (ADAS) function reliably and accurately in real-world conditions. Among these, the Speed Limit Information Functions (SLIF), which display the current speed limit to the driver, are critical to encouraging compliant and safe driving behavior.

However, if these systems display incorrect or outdated speed information, drivers may unintentionally drive too fast or too slow for the road conditions, increasing the risk of collisions, fines, and public distrust in vehicle technology.

IVEX has developed an innovative platform that enables vehicle manufacturers and consumer testing organizations like Euro NCAP to objectively evaluate how well these systems perform on real roads, not just in simulations or controlled environments.

By enabling large-scale, real-world testing and providing quantifiable performance insights, IVEX helps:

- Manufacturers improve the reliability of their ADAS systems,
- Regulators and safety organizations set smarter standards,
- Consumers make informed decisions about the safety of their vehicles.

Ultimately, IVEX's solution contributes to:
- higher transparency,
- better engineering,
- fewer speed-related accidents.

Helping advancing Europe’s Vision Zero goals and making roads safer for everyone.

Cycling to work is sustainable, accessible, inclusive, low-cost, and healthy.

A mental shift – changing attitudes, perceptions, and habits – is essential before a modal shift can occur, because employees must first believe in the safety, practicality, and benefits of cycling before they are willing to change their daily transport choices.

We focus on the risks associated with cycling to work. Many employees lack the safety awareness and practical skills to navigate these challenges.

We identify three core road safety problems:
1. Distraction while cycling: using smartphones, GPS devices, or headphones significantly impairs attention and reaction time.
2. Inappropriate speed, particularly on electric bicycles: the higher speeds of e-bikes require better anticipation and control, yet many cyclists are unaware of the dangers this poses in mixed traffic.
3. Cycling under the influence: alcohol or drug use, even in small amounts, dramatically reduces a cyclist’s coordination and judgment.

These challenges are compounded by a lack of targeted, practical training for adult commuters. Our project uses immersive virtual reality simulations to allow employees to experience these risks in a controlled environment, raising awareness, changing perceptions, and promoting safer cycling behavior. The ultimate goal is achieving a mental and modal shift toward safer, more sustainable mobility choices.

TyreSafe is addressing the critical issue of tyre-related road casualties by equipping all road users with the knowledge to identify and act on poorly maintained or illegal tyres. Our mission follows the Safe System approach, recognising human error and injury tolerances, and aims to eliminate harm through education, engineering, and enforcement. TyreSafe’s focus is on reducing incidents caused by poor tyre maintenance, illegal tread depth, under-inflation, and other defects. Research consistently shows tyres are one of the most neglected safety components. Data from our 2023 Tread Depth Survey revealed over 6 million tyres are replaced annually when already illegal. A 2022 post-collision investigation revealed that 81% of vehicles involved in incidents had tyre defects. Despite this, under-reporting in Police collisions data, Stats19, limits national awareness. TyreSafe’s campaigns, research and stakeholder engagement address this knowledge gap. We work with government, emergency services, tyre industry and other road safety groups to increase understanding and action. TyreSafe’s vision is zero harm from tyre defects on UK roads. By raising awareness, influencing behaviour and advocating for better data and enforcement, we aim to instil long-term change and reduce preventable tyre-related collisions and casualties.

Occupational Road Risk, also known as Work Related Road Risk (WRRR), is the risk that an employee may be involved in a collision while driving for work, causing harm to themselves and others. As a minimum, 1/3 of injury collisions every year in the UK involves at least one person driving for work, with 35,000 casualties because of these collisions annually.
Employers have an established legal role to play in the safe management of their employees who drive/ride for work under the UK Health and Safety at Work Act. Workplace health and safety legislation applies equally to work related driving and riding and should be applied in the same way as in the physical workplace.
The Driving for Better Business programme (DfBB) works on the premise that employers have a crucial role to play in the safety of drivers and other road users. Working with employers, we can positively influence a significant number of road users to improve driver behaviour and reduce collisions and injuries. Whilst there is a focus on the requirement under law to manage driving for work, the principle is valid in any jurisdiction.
Our vision is “a world where those who use the roads for work do so safely, efficiently and sustainably" and mission is “To improve safety and reduce risk for all those who drive or ride for work, by promoting good management practice and demonstrating the significant business benefits”.