Research

BORDERLESS TRAFFIC SAFETY RESEARCH

Dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries, and promoting safe mobility

Every year, approximately 1.2 million people lose their lives in traffic accidents, with countless more suffering injuries. Tragically, road transport injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years. Without significant changes, this figure could rise even more. This underscores the urgent need for collaboration through the SAFER platform.

SAFER's research agenda is shaped by its partners' interests and society’s needs, contributing to a larger societal goal: the development of smart, sustainable road transport systems in urban and rural areas alike. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, SAFER aims to establish the scientific foundation for safe products, services, infrastructure, policies, and legislation.

SAFER conducts research across three Impact Areas: Human Body and Mind, Safety Performance Evaluation, and Safety Principles.

SAFER'S IMPACT AREAS

The scope of our research

We define our impact areas by assessing both societal and our partners’ needs, focusing on where SAFER, as a collaboration platform, can truly make a difference. This is guided by a comprehensive understanding of our combined capabilities and the demands of society.

 

SAFETY PRINCIPLES

SAFETY PRINCIPLES

The Impact Area Safety Principles focuses on addressing safety for individual components such as vehicles and infrastructure, as well as the interactions between them to capture the challenges of the whole mobility system. Our primary objective is to reduce fatalities and injuries, by preventing road accidents in the first place. Our Impact Area Experts in the SAFER Research Council: Martin Sanfridson, RISE and Katrin Sjöberg, Volvo Group.

HUMAN BODY AND MIND

HUMAN BODY AND MIND

Here we address our understanding of the human from the aspects of tolerance to mechanical loading and behaviour in traffic. The research activities typically focus on modelling of the human and studying the safety of interactions between road users and between the human and the vehicle in the mobility system. Our Impact Area Experts in the SAFER Research Council: Nils Lübbe, Autoliv, Anna Sjörs Dahlman, VTI and Mikael Ljung Aust, Volvo Cars.

SAFETY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

SAFETY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

In the impact area Safety Performance Evaluation, our research is dedicated to advancing vehicle and traffic safety through innovative analysis techniques. Our mission is clear: to develop models that are transparent, scalable, and sustainable, all grounded in real-world data and assessment methods. Our Impact Area Experts in the SAFER Research Council: Jonas Bärgman, Chalmers, Carmelo D'Agostino, Lund University and Hanna Wennberg, Swedish Transport Administration.

SAFER’S WORKING GROUPS

The main forum for inspiration and idea incubation

SAFER's working groups are the cornerstone for inspiration and idea incubation, fostering creativity, research and innovation. Partners actively engage in focused discussions, shaping projects and activities. Open to all partners, these groups are the primary platform for idea generation, project development, and collaborative learning.

ALTERNATIVE FUEL POWERTRAIN SAFETY

Led by Andreas Anderson

ALTERNATIVE FUEL POWERTRAIN SAFETY

Co-hosted by PICTA and SAFER, this group focuses on safety enhancements for alternative fuel powertrains, such as electric, gas, and hydrogen vehicles. They address needs like accident response, storage, and firefighting, aiming to improve safety during transport and refueling for emergency responders and the public.

LONG-TERM IMPAIRMENTS FROM INJURIES IN TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENT

Led by Sara Kallin

LONG-TERM IMPAIRMENTS FROM INJURIES IN TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENT

This group focuses on long-term medical impairments from non-life-threatening traffic injuries. Their goal is to understand these injuries, their impacts, and ways to prevent long-term impairments. SAFER experts will lead the effort, engaging the wider community for a comprehensive understanding. 

POST CRASH

Led by Hanna Maurin Söderholm

POST CRASH

Post-crash response is vital for addressing fatalities, severe injuries, and long-term consequences. Co-hosted by PICTA and SAFER, this group tackles challenges like ensuring smooth information flow, maintaining quality, and enhancing availability among involved parties.

ROAD ACCIDENT STATISTICS

Led by Anna Theander

ROAD ACCIDENT STATISTICS

This group analyses traffic data for road safety insights, focusing on accident types, frequencies, and countermeasure efficacy. Using various databases, they develop global methodologies and research projects. Outcomes include methodology development, research reports, and collaborations to enhance road safety.

ROAD USER BEHAVIOUR

Led by Anna Sjörs Dahlman

ROAD USER BEHAVIOUR

This group focuses on safe behavior in the transport system, including (automated) vehicle-human interactions, human factors in technology, vehicle and infrastructure usage support, road user behavior monitoring tools, driver impairment countermeasures, and behavior change promotion.

SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE

Led by Carmelo D'agostino

SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE

This group investigates road infrastructure's impact on traffic safety, evaluating current research and identifying directions for advancement. Goals include promoting a multidisciplinary approach, aligning challenges with future mobility, and developing proactive safety assessment methods. 

SAFETY OF AUTOMATED DRIVING SYSTEMS

Led by Fredrik Sandblom

SAFETY OF AUTOMATED DRIVING SYSTEMS

Focused on enhancing automated driving technology adoption, this group tackles complexities in automating driving tasks and uncertainties in predicting safety improvements. It explores links to safety benefit assessment, sensing, human behavior, and safety performance indicators. 

SAFETY OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Led by Devansh Mehta

SAFETY OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

This group addresses evolving traffic safety challenges amid advancing technologies and industry shifts. Emphasizing agile safety assurance, it considers technology capabilities, human factors, and intricate system dependencies. From components to transport services, their approach aims to ensure safety in a complex environment.

TO IDENTIFY AND IMPROVE YOUR COMPANIES’ WORK WITHIN TRAFFIC SAFETY

Led by Sanna Eveby

TO IDENTIFY AND IMPROVE YOUR COMPANIES’ WORK WITHIN TRAFFIC SAFETY

Through a series of workshops, we guide companies in improving their safety practices. Covering influence, commitment, monitoring, and safety culture, we provide practical examples and guidance tailored to each step. The outcome: a comprehensive report with actionable insights.

PROJECT PORTFOLIO

Real-world traffic safety research to save lives

SAFER’s partners conduct world-class traffic safety research in a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach. Since our start in 2006, our partners have completed more than 450 traffic safety research projects with the aim of saving lives, preventing injuries and contributing to sustainable, safe mobility. 

 

THE SAFER CONNECTED RESEARCH RESOURCES

As a SAFER partner, you gain through projects, access, to SAFER’s Connected Research Resources available within the network. Expertise for utilizing these resources is readily accessible within the community. Our overarching goal, and a strategic cornerstone, is to make research easier, more effective, and efficient through collaborative partnerships. Together, these resources allow borderless research with outstanding opportunities of real-world testing and validation.

ASTAZERO REAL-WORLD TEST FACILITY

AstaZero (Active Safety Test Area Zero) is among the world's most advanced full-scale test environments, dedicated to fostering a safe, sustainable, and connected automated road traffic future. With diverse traffic environments, it facilitates testing of advanced safety systems across various traffic scenarios, including urban, rural, multi-lane, and high-speed roads. Additionally, boasting the world's longest indoor autonomous vehicle test track, AstaZero enables extensive research, development, and validation. Serving as an international testing area, it welcomes stakeholders from industry, society, and academia.

Read more at www.astazero.com

REVERE RESEARCH LAB FOR ACTIVE SAFETY AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING

Chalmers' Revere lab, closely connected to SAFER at Lindholmen Science Park, is an evolving comprehensive research platform. It provides partners with facilities for real-world traffic and simulator studies, focusing on autonomous driving, active safety, and vehicle dynamics. Equipped with technical tools, test vehicles and dedicated personnel, Revere facilitates collaboration between industry stakeholders and academia, driving cutting-edge research and innovations.

Read more at www.chalmers.se

THE SAFER NATURALISTIC DRIVING DATA PLATFORM

SAFER's Naturalistic Driving Data platform securely manages vast real-world driving datasets, spanning approximately 6.5 million kilometers. It offers state-of-the-art data management, large datasets, and leading research expertise. This platform provides unique access to naturalistic data, supporting streamlined traffic safety research and fostering collaboration.

Do you want to know more, please contact John-Fredrik Grönvall

THE SAFER DATA CATALOGUE

Knowledge of different datasets available in SAFER's network is important for efficient work within projects, providing new perspectives on past and present research, and being able to create completely new projects through data-driven research. To facilitate access to quality assured data, the SAFER Data Catalogue, where relevant datasets within the network are described, are available for the SAFER partners. The datasets cover different types of data, from field operational tests with a vehicle or location-based focus, real-time data described in the Swedish National Access Point (NAP), and accident databases.

SAFER Data Catalogue

DRIVING SIMULATORS

The Sim IV driving simulator at VTI, equipped with its advanced motion platform system, is instrumental in our research endeavors across various projects. This simulator offers substantial linear movement on both x and y axes, prioritizing motion feedback and providing a wide field of view. It gives us the possibility to conduct simulations for cars, trucks, and bicycles. Additionally, the mini simulator at Lindholmen gives us the opportunity to significantly enhance our research capabilities.

Read more at www.vti.se

VENUE AT LINDHOLMEN SCIENCE PARK

SAFER operates from Lindholmen Science Park, Sweden's epicenter for future mobility innovation and cross-border cooperation. With 25,000 daily visitors, Lindholmen fosters a collaborative ecosystem. Our partners have access to a 290 sqm facility offering workspaces, meeting rooms, analysis facilities for confidential driving data, and venues for co-creation, conferences, and networking. This dynamic environment facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing research in traffic safety.

Read more at www.lindholmen.se

WORLD LEADING HUMAN BODY MODEL FUNCTIONALITY

Within human body modelling (HBM), SAFER provides a competence platform for our partners as well as a natural contact point for external cooperation. The SAFER HBM is a virtual human substitute that can be used for predicting injury outcome in any impact situation and direction of loading, able to be morphed to replicate a large proportion of the population, standing or sitting, with humanlike kinematics in crash events as well as pre-crash maneuvers. The SAFER HBM research combines several projects, all developing the existing model towards the overall goal of performance.

TEST TRACK AT STORA HOLM

SAFER's partner, the road safety organisation NTF Väst, provides our researchers access to a conveniently located traffic training site at Stora Holm, near Lindholmen. This versatile facility offers various driving surfaces, including gravel, asphalt, and slippery terrain, set amidst hilly landscapes. The off-road course, nestled in a natural setting, enables additional practice on transverse slopes and features a water-filled ditch. Besides serving as a training ground, Stora Holm test track is an ideal venue for outdoor events and demonstrations, enriching research activities.

Read more at storaholm.se

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

Our funding opportunities for partners

SAFER offers its researchers access to research programmes with funding opportunities.

SAFER IDEA EXPLORATION PROGRAMME

Do you have an idea on how traffic safety can be improved? We have an opportunity to support you through our Idea Exploration program! To support the development of the project portfolio, the SAFER idea exploration program is an important part of how we facilitate and influence research. In this program, we fund research activities that can bring value back to SAFER’s partners, supporting our vision to contribute to a safe road transport system for all.

Welcome with your application!

OPEN RESEARCH AT ASTAZERO

This programme (open 2016-2021) funded curiosity projects by providing free access to AstaZero to stimulate and facilitate open, independent and world-leading research. The programme aimed to generate openly available results and data and an inspiring network between researchers. Researchers from universities or research institutions as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could apply for test track time, workshop use, support (e.g. testing engineers, or drivers), and use of equipment.

SAFER DOCTORS

Connecting minds in our PhD network

A SAFER doctor, employed by a SAFER partner, conducts part of their studies within the SAFER environment or its connected projects. The PhD network aims to disseminate research, develop the network and offer other opportunities. Members participate in SAFER activities, are showcased at events, and receive special recruitment opportunities. Upon completion, they earn recognition as 'SAFER doctors' and their research is highlighted in SAFER's communication channels.

All our SAFER doctors will be listed here shortly.