Emphasis on road safety at RS5C

RS5C stands for Road Safety on Five Continents and is VTI’s international conference focusing on road safety. This conference is aimed at researchers, authorities and other stakeholders, and its objective is to share and create cooperation on research results in the field of transport and road safety.

In October, VTI organised the conference in Grapevine, Texas in the US – this time in collaboration with UTA, the University of Texas at Arlington. Nearly 100 delegates from some 20 countries, including the US, Sweden, Portugal, Korea, and Tanzania, gathered for this three-day conference, which included three keynote speakers and about 15 sessions with conference presentations.

“There was a lot of discussion during lunchtimes and coffee breaks about the Vision Zero and the Safe System. We also held a panel debate on these approaches aimed at enhancing road safety. We talked about problems, experiences, and solutions where research can assist with balanced policy decisions,” says Anna Vadeby, senior researcher at VTI and the chair of the conference, who welcomed delegates during the Welcome session together with Jonas Jansson, Head of research at VTI, and Professor Stephen P Mattingly from UTA.

Compared to Europe, the US has a higher per capita mortality rate on account of road accidents. The US has recently adopted a Safe System plan, according to Anna Vadeby.

The keynote speakers added a touch of extra shine to the conference. Dr Matts-Åke Belin is the Global Lead for the Decade of Action for Road Safety at WHO. He talked about how the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety is to be implemented. Matts-Åke Belin has more than 30 years’ experience of working with road safety and the Vision Zero.

Robert C Wunderlich, P.E., talked about patterns and trends in road accidents in the US. Robert Wunderlich is a senior research engineer and director of the Center for Transportation Safety at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The Center’s research into road safety is one of his responsibilities.

Research Director Anna Anund from VTI was the third keynote speaker and gave a lecture on driver fatigue, as well as the complexity of measuring and counteracting it. Besides being VTI’s Research Director, Anna Anund is also an associate professor at Linköping University and coordinates PANACEA, an EU project focusing on the work environment of professional drivers.

The next conference will be the 20th in the series and therefore a special occasion. VTI is now looking for a partner, or partners, to organise the next conference with. Welcome to send an expression of interest by contacting the RS5C Steering Committee.

Email: rs5c@vti.se

Road Safety on Five Continents, RS5C

Text: Gunilla Rech

Translated by: CBG Konsult & Information AB