News

In a celebratory gathering at Lindholmen Science Park today, our collaborative research consortium focusing on traffic safety, marked the commencement of an exciting new phase. With a commitment to reducing injuries and fatalities on the roads through collaborative research, SAFER brought together over 100 participants from the partner organisations, both physically and online, to kick-off the new phase together.

In a new initiative, Guidance to Zero, SAFER's partner, has initiated a new project aimed at identifying success factors for promoting a positive traffic safety culture within organisations. This project, funded by Skyltfonden, attempts to help companies articulate and report their road safety impact, thereby developing an understanding of their traffic safety footprint.

Don't miss out on our first newsletter of the year! We're thrilled to present details about our new collaboration agreement, where about partners have come together to enhance knowledge about road safety. Additionally, stay updated with our latest projects and explore our event calendar for the upcoming months. Happy reading! https://mailchi.mp/chalmers.se/saferjanuary2024

As we approach the new year, SAFER welcomes two professionals to its board: Professor Mats Svensson, Chalmers University and Senior lecturer Dr. Aliaksei Laureshyn from Lund University. Aliaksei, serving as the Head of the Department of Technology & Society at the university, also holds the position of Editor-in-chief for the Traffic Safety Research journal. Meanwhile, Mats Svensson, occupying a professorial role at Chalmers, leads the Division of Vehicle Safety, Mechanics, and Maritime Sciences.

Embarking on its sixth phase in January, SAFER introduces a new organisational structure including the establishment of a Research Council. The purpose is to further enhance facilitation of the collaboration platform with its mission to save lives in traffic by bring people together, conduct research and leverage knowledge to enable safe sustainable mobility. The SAFER Research Council comprises representatives from SAFER’s eight core partners, contributing with their expertise and experience, as well as an invaluable network.

In a new move towards advancing road safety, the recently funded I2Connect project focuses on the evolution of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The project aims to comprehensively assess safety by integrating car-to-cloud capabilities, external sensing inputs, and driver monitoring, creating a prototype ADAS system that not only enhances real-time risk detection but also refines driver information and warnings.

The primary objective of the project is to analyse and evaluate cognitive factors influencing the interaction between different traffic situations, drivers of varying demographics, and information from driver monitoring systems and ADAS. By conducting driving experimental simulations, the research team will identify cognitive predictive limitations, seeking to enhance reliable interaction with ADAS and ultimately improve traffic safety.

The Screens II project aims to improve traffic safety by addressing the challenges posed by increased automation in the driver’s environment

The VIASAFETY (Road Traffic Safety for Electric Micro Vehicles) project aims to enhance traffic safety for small vehicles, including electric scooters, cargo bikes, bicycles, and electric mopeds, operating at low speeds on roads.

The Global status report on road safety 2023, published in December, shows that the number of annual road traffic deaths has fallen slightly to 1.19 million.

In a noteworthy step towards improving cyclist safety on roads, a pioneering project titled "Advanced Tool for the Development and Evaluation of Protection Systems for Bicyclists" has been initiated. The project, funded by the Swedish Transport Administration, aims to develop tools for assessment and development of protection systems for cyclists and other road users, focusing shoulder impacts.

Our December newsletter is out, packed with upcoming events, research opportunities, and a sneak peek into the next stage of SAFER.

We are thrilled to unveil the schedule for our SAFER Thursday lunch seminars this spring!

The primary objective of this project is to investigate the feasibility of utilizing in-vehicle measurements of heart rate and electrocardiogram (ECG) to identify the onset of sudden cardiovascular illness in drivers, such as heart attacks or sudden cardiac arrests.

We have a new concept to introduce, our thematic working groups, open for all partners to engage in and contribute to, to build the multidisciplinary traffic safety knowledge you are looking for in SAFER.

In the latest SAFER funding call for pre-studies three proposals have been accepted that will contribute to a safer traffic environment:

Professor Astrid Linder receives this compliment for her research on traffic safety and the development of the world's first average-sized female crash test dummy.

Dive into our latest projects and get updates on upcoming knowledge-building and co-creation activities to protect people in traffic.

A new project in SAFER's portfolio aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of various comfort products marketed to pregnant women. It sheds light on the concerning fact that there is currently an unregulated market for such products, posing potential risks to both the pregnant woman and her unborn child.

SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers University is proud to announce the commencement of its 6th stage, marking a new era of innovation and collaboration in the quest for safer road transport, worldwide. Today, on November 10, 2023, 45 SAFER partners decided upon an agreement to officially continue SAFER into its sixth stage.

In a pivotal advancement for the future of road safety and traffic management, the AI Enhanced Mobility program has approved funding for an innovative pre-study titled "Predictive Capabilities in the Mobility Environment (LARA)".

Read about all our upcoming events and opportunities for knowledge sharing – we have a lot of activities in pipeline now. Latest publications from SAFER partners’ projects are also available and listed.

Jens Henriksson, a doctoral student at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers University, has achieved a significant milestone in his academic journey. Today, he successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled, "Outlier Detection as a Safety Measure for Safety-Critical Deep Learning," and is now officially a SAFER doctor.

Welcome to submit your abstract to be a part of the 9th International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention, to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the USA. The submission portal opens today!

The Scandinavian Conference on Systems and Software Safety is gearing up for its 11th edition, scheduled to be held in the city of Stockholm from November 21 to 22. The event promises to be a gathering of minds from various sectors, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the intricate world of system and software safety in electronic systems.

We are happy to share that SAFER has just released its latest newsletter, and in this edition, you'll discover upcoming events, new projects and other opportunities to learn in the SAFER collaboration platform!

​​​​​​​Do you have a traffic safety research idea that you would like to develop together with SAFER partners? We have an opportunity through our pre-study program!

Åsa is Head of Volvo Cars Safety Center and has been engaged in vehicle safety, product development and innovation throughout her whole career. She has MSc in Mechanical engineering and biomechanics from Chalmers University and has also studied at Université de Technologie de Compiègne in France. Finding ways to use technology to improve peoples’ lives is of particular interest to Åsa.

“Passenger kinematics in evasive maneuvers - Advancing Active Human Body Modeling and Understanding Variability in Passenger Kinematics During Evasive Maneuvers” is the title of Emma Larsson’s doctoral thesis, that she successfully defended today!

SAFER's researchers continue to build knowledge about how to effectively create a safer traffic environment through continuous monitoring of organisations' impact on traffic safety. By mapping and following up the accidents and road fatalities, so-called traffic safety footprint, that occur within the organization's value chain, would more efficient measures be implemented and road crashed can hence be prevented.

Stay up to date with the latest projects and activities in live saving research!

Autumn 2023 is approaching, and we are looking forward to further collaboration to co-create a safe and sustainable traffic environment for all.

Currently a new dataset containing 1100 accidents from ten different data collection sites has been made available to IGLAD members.

The 11th edition of the Scandinavian Conference on Systems and Software Safety will take place in Stockholm November 21-22. The program is now launched and you are invited to the conference! System and software safety in electronic systems is becoming increasingly important in many industries and in critical societal infrastructure. The systems become ever more complex, connected and autonomous and

​​​​​​​The aim of this adventure has been to collect data on road safety, and to hold presentations along the route through Europe.

For two days, the world's elite in road safety gathered in Stockholm to exchange experiences on the subject and pave the way forward towards the global road safety goal of halving the number of road deaths by 2030.

​​​​​​​Mobilizing Europe’s Green Ambition through Bicycles and Intelligent Transport Systems is the full title of our most recent SAFER associated project. The project aims to contributing with scientific understanding to enable a safe transition to sustainable mobility.

The second call for good ideas for research for safe road traffic in 2023 generated two new pre-studies that will now be run within SAFER's collaboration platform: Human Factors, Risks and Optimal Performance in Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility ViDCoM: Video-based Driver Condition Monitoring for Safe Driving

Sophia Guerra Ekesand, our new office manager, starting as of today, will be on site at SAFER Monday – Thursday between 08:30-13:30 and will support to facilitate the SAFER collaboration with event management, for example arrange seminars, conferences, networking activities and workshops.

In connection to the global ministerial conference on road safety in 2020, when traffic safety footprint was first introduced as a concept with great potential for improving global road safety, SAFER has worked committed to build and spread knowledge about this new way of approaching safety in traffic. A Think Tank for traffic safety footprint, funded by SAFER with partners from Autoliv, VTI, Volvo Group, the Swedish Transport Administration and Folksam has made great progress in mapping suitable activities and research questions that could be addressed to accelerate implementation. SAFER's board is now investing in prolonging the Think Tank, which is now entering its second phase.

During the whole week, around 90 participants have been participating in a course in biomechanics at Lindholmen Science Park, hosted by SAFER!

We are happy to announce that we have the seminar schedule ready for our appreciated SAFER Thursday lunch seminar for the autumn set! We will continue with the current concept; all our partners are very welcome to participate in a networking lunch, starting 11:30 onsite at SAFER, and then we start up the seminar in hybrid form between 12:00- 12:45

1900 km by bike in 16 days. That is what awaits Marco Dozza, professor at Chalmers University of Technology, when he sets out on the Gothenburg-Bologna route. The aim is to collect data on road safety, and to hold presentations along the route through Europe.

Today Malin Svärd has defended her thesis "Computational driver behavior models for vehicle safety applications" and she has now received her doctoral title, as well as her title as SAFER doctor.

Karl-Johan Larsson has successfully defended his thesis; “Human Body Model Morphing for Assessment of Crash Rib Fracture Risk for the Population of Car Occupants”.

Welcome to explore our new projects and upcoming activities in the May issue. We have among other things launched the research program for SAFER Stage 6, we have several new projects in the portfolio, e.g. about traffic safety for unborn children and we are happy to share the last set of collaborative activities before the summer break. You can find

QUADRIS is the short name for Improved quantitative driver behavior models and safety assessment methods for ADAS and AD, which is the most recent project in SAFER’s portfolio. It’s the third project in a sequence of the SAFER associated projects after QUADRA and QUADRAE.

International studies indicate that there is a lack of information and correct recommendations for pregnant women regarding use of the safety belt, as well as an ignorance of how the belt should be positioned. There is great potential for increased road safety for pregnant women and their unborn children, and the new SAFER associated projects aims identify the knowledge gap

Do you have a traffic safety research idea that you would like to develop together with SAFER partners? We have an opportunity! Funding will proactively stimulate project generation with several SAFER partners involved to maximize the benefits of our multi-disciplinary platform and obtain a broad commitment, both between partners and within research areas. The funding is for getting started with

We are happy to announce that the ninth edition of the International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention (DDI) will take place in at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the US, October 22-24, 2024.