Road Safety Cluster
A groundbreaking cluster of EU-funded projects has been formed to revolutionise road safety, automated mobility, and the interaction between drivers and vulnerable road users (VRUs). This collaborative effort brings together eight ambitious initiatives – AI4CCAM, HEIDI, EVENTS, FRODDO, PHOEBE, ProtAct-Us, V4SAFETY, and SOTERIA – to develop cutting-edge solutions addressing the growing complexity of urban transport systems, forming a cluster on “Road safety in complex urban environments”.
The cluster aims to promote a safe, inclusive, and sustainable mobility system that is resilient, trustworthy, and road user-centric. By uniting efforts across these projects, this initiative is set to transform European transport research and establish new standards for road safety and automated driving.
Cluster overview
At the heart of the cluster’s mission is a shared vision for establishing the “safe system” approach. This shifts the focus from placing responsibility solely on road users to a holistic strategy where every stakeholder—from infrastructure designers to transport operators—plays a role in creating safer environments. The projects will work together to ensure that automated mobility technology is not only efficient but also transparent, inclusive, and adaptable to real-world road conditions.
The eight projects are exploring how advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), simulation environments, predictive analytics, and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) can enhance urban road safety for all road users, particularly vulnerable groups such as pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals with reduced mobility.
Our Projects
Trustworthy AI For Connected, Cooperative And Automated Mobility
AI4CCAM leverages the potential of AI to creat trustworthy and ethical models for predicting the behavior of vulnerable road users in urban environments. Its focus on user acceptance of automated vehicles and ethical dilemmas ensures the development of AI systems that people can trust.
ReliablE In-Vehicle PErception And DecisioN-Making In Complex EnvironmenTal ConditionS
EVENTS seeks to overcome the limitations of current Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) by developing a robust and resilient perception and decision-making system that can manage unexpected “events” like adverse weather/light conditions, unstructured road environment, imperfect data, sensor/communication failures, etc., ensuring continuous safe operation in dynamic environments.
Federated CybeR-Physical Infrastructure For ODD COntinuity
FRODDO advances Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility by enhancing safety, adaptability, and efficiency in autonomous transport. It develops AI-driven tools, digital twins, and smart sensing technologies to improve traffic management and operational design domains. FRODDO supports a safer, smarter, and more resilient mobility ecosystem by enabling seamless interaction between vehicles, infrastructure, and digital systems.
Holistic And AdaptivE Interface Design For Human-Technology Interactions
HEIDI is breaking new ground by designing a cooperative HMI that connects drivers and pedestrians in dangerous situations. With internal and external HMIs, HEIDI adapts in real time to the behaviors and needs of drivers and VRUs.
Predictive ApproacHes FOr SafEr UrBan Environments
PHOEBE aims to support urban transport planning with an evidence-based framework for predictive road safety. This project offers a blueprint for cities to manage safety risks effectively, integrating human behavior modeling and transport system simulations to prevent accidents.
ProtAct-Us From Long-Term Consequences Of Road Crashes
ProtAct-Us aims at protecting all road user groups from serious injury and long-term physical, cognitive and mental health consequences of road crashes, through innovatively interlinked research action between medical and engineering tools.
Systematic And Orchestrated Deployment Of Safety Solutions In Complex Urban Environments For Ageing And Vulnerable Societies
SOTERIA focuses on creating a data-driven safety intelligence framework that integrates electric micro-mobility services in urban environments. It emphasises inclusivity by fostering a co-creation process with local communities and vulnerable road users.
Vehicles And VRU Virtual EValuation Of Road Safety
V4SAFETY will provide a prospective safety assessment framework that can handle a large variety of safety measures, ranging from in-vehicle safety technology, infrastructure solutions to regulations that influence road user behaviour. It includes methods to project the results in future scenarios and over EU regions for use by policy makers, authorities and consumer organizations.
Collective Strengths
The cluster of projects is founded on several shared strengths:
Human-Centric and Inclusive: Prioritising the needs of all road users, including vulnerable populations such as children, elderly, and those with reduced mobility.
Ethical and Trustworthy AI: Developing AI models and decision-making systems that are transparent, reliable, and capable of handling complex ethical issues.
Advanced Simulation Technologies: Leveraging co-simulation environments, hybrid testing, and machine learning to safely evaluate and validate new technologies.
Scalability and Resilience: Ensuring that solutions are adaptable across various transport modes, from micro-mobility services to automated vehicles, and capable of handling unexpected events and system failures.