The new year also marks the start of SWOV's new research program. This research program will focus on new developments now or in the near future, such as mobility shifts due to the corona crisis, the migration between urban and rural areas and developments in vehicle automation. There will be specific attention for whether and how new (mainly light electrical) vehicles can be integrated safely into our traffic system .
Research into safer road design is never really finished. As of next year, safely designed roads with credible speeds of 30 or 60 km/h, the safety of intersections and – in a broader context – the safety of urban traffic will receive a lot of attention.
For the behavioural aspects in traffic, research will be conducted into (driver) training and education, alcohol and drugs, distraction and the influence of various disorders on safe traffic participation. In 2022, using the method of in-depth studies, we will investigate the occurrence and causes of motorcycle crashes and bicycle-car crashes on 30 km/h roads.
SWOV will continue to work on the availability and quality of necessary data. These data form an important basis for SWOV’s annual publication ‘The State of Road Safety’, in which we look back and ahead on road safety developments.
Finally, we will start the new year with our new managing director Martin Damen. We look forward to continue our research work for safer traffic with Martin at the helm.
