Van drivers

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.

Nextop Co-pilot is an intelligent driving assistant app designed to enhance road safety and operational efficiency for professional drivers. It operates fully offline using preloaded routes and special geofences to deliver real-time, on-edge audio alerts—no network connection required.

By combining GPS tracking with customizable geofence zones, the app provides precise voice guidance about critical road segments, including dangerous curves, steep downhills, speed limits, obstacle zones, and other risk areas. Fleet operators can personalize messages per route or region, offering context-aware advice that improves driver awareness and decision-making.

The solution also integrates vehicle health data, enabling real-time alerts for issues like overheating, brake wear, or system warnings—helping to prevent breakdowns and improve maintenance planning.

All processing happens directly on the device, ensuring fast, reliable alerts even in remote areas. Designed for fleets and logistics operations, Nextop Co-pilot empowers drivers with the information they need, exactly when they need it—boosting safety, compliance, and route efficiency.

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.

Children and young people (till 25 years old) make up 41% of the world’s population (United Nations, 2024) and about 25% of this age group is represented in the EU population (Eurostat, 2024). They are an active group, often dependent on public space for movement and social interaction. Yet, that public space is not designed with them in mind, nor does it reflect their world and needs. This has consequences. Every day in Flanders, an average of 10 students (aged 3 to 18) are involved in traffic crashes on their way to school (VIAS Institute, 2019–2023). Over 60% of those victims were walking or cycling. In Europe there were still 455 fatalities amongst children and 2 388 fatalities amongst youth which shows that mobility is not yet inclusive, safe and of high quality for all.
Poorly adapted public space brings dangers and challenges, but it also has more subtle barriers. Children and young people are becoming increasingly less physically active. Regular movement is however essential for both their physical and mental health. One way to encourage this movement is by promoting walking and cycling from an early stage and at a young age.
Inadequate public space also negatively affects the independence of children and young people. About a quarter of students in Flanders are driven by car even for short trips between home and school. That’s unfortunate, because travelling independently helps children learn how to navigate their environment, assess risks, and interact with other road users. This builds confidence and equips them with the skills—and the right—to travel alone.

The LEDONE Connected project began in early 2021, following the publication of new Spanish regulations promoting connected emergency signaling, specifically through the Real Decreto 159/2021. The objective was to develop a V16 emergency light that would not only meet legal standards but go further in terms of safety, visibility, and connectivity. Sustainability was not a regulatory requirement, but a value deeply embedded in Erum Vial's philosophy and business model.

The first phase focused on R&D, resulting in a high-visibility design (the tallest on the market) with 360° lighting powered by 10 high-intensity LEDs, a dual magnetic/adhesive fixation system for universal vehicle compatibility, and the optional LEDONE Arrow for enhanced lateral visibility in large vehicles.

Erum Vial integrated NB-IoT connectivity provided by Vodafone, ensuring reliable communication with national road safety authorities. Additionally, we developed the LEDONE mobile app to offer real-time connection confirmation, direct access to emergency contacts, and tow tracking tools.

The project followed a phased timeline:

• 2021: Technical research, regulatory analysis, and initial design with a focus on safety, visibility, and integration of IoT.
• 2022–2023: Industrialization of the product in Erum's manufacturing plant in Alcoy, using 100% recycled plastic and applying sustainability practices as a corporate commitment—not due to any regulatory mandate.
• 2024–2025: Full-scale distribution across Spain with more than 20,000 sales points and ongoing collection of field data for product improvement.

Key activities include app development (LEDONE App), firmware updates, user feedback analysis, and public awareness campaigns on connected safety devices. The project is ongoing and ready for European scalability, with continuous improvement based on real-world use and user feedback.

The stagnation of accident and mortality figures in Spain, particularly regarding run-off-road incidents, demonstrates that traditional road safety solutions, while still essential, have reached their maximum possible impact. Road network authorities must therefore immediately commit to new, disruptive, and innovative measures. An urgent response is required to make the European goal of Zero Victims by 2050 achievable, and this response must be supported by solutions that harness the potential of technology and artificial intelligence.
The main pain points are as follows:
1. High accident rate: Worrying levels of accidents, run-off-road incidents, and pedestrian collisions persist, resulting in severe human and economic consequences.
2. Reactive rather than preventive safety: Existing systems intervene only after an incident to minimise its consequences. There are very few real-time risk detection and alert mechanisms in place.
3. Lack of connected response: There are no infrastructure-based solutions capable of automatically detecting incidents or run-off-road events unless incorporated by the vehicle itself, which often leads to critical delays in notifying emergency services or alerting other road users.
4. Limited technological adaptability: Many roads lack basic supplies such as electricity or signal coverage for remote management.
5. Level of investment: While national authorities are progressively beginning to invest in advanced technological solutions, budgets remain limited, often restricted to pilot programmes and trials without genuine commitment. In numerous regional and local administrations, no officials have yet been appointed for road modernisation or digital transformation, and no budgets are allocated for these matters.
6. Digital technological expertise among road administrators: There is a clear shortage of technical profiles with expertise in IT or telecommunications, and public administrations are slow in equipping themselves with such profiles.
7. The challenge of intelligent infrastructure and the connected vehicle: There is an urgent need to seek alternatives to large-scale V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication protocols between vehicles or between vehicles and infrastructure, as these may not prove effective in the short term due to factors such as public investment levels, the gradual renewal of the vehicle fleet, or the complexity of harmonising protocols across manufacturers and countries. Tactical solutions that demonstrate real, immediate impact are critically needed.
These are the principal pain points slowing the advancement of smart road deployment, understood as an entire ecosystem of connected, proactive, and preventive solutions to ensure safe, sustainable, and intelligent mobility.