We continue our series of articles on the CulturalRoad pillars of mobility equity with a special focus on safety in mobility, specifically in the context of Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) solutions. As mobility systems evolve through digitalisation and automation, ensuring that safety benefits are equitably distributed becomes critical. The CulturalRoad Safety pillar examines whether these emerging technologies are truly delivering safer mobility for all, especially for those who are most at risk on our roads.
What is safety?
Safety is a foundational element of any mobility system, and it takes on new complexity in the age of CCAM. The CulturalRoad project recognises that while CCAM technologies promise to reduce crashes and improve traffic flow, these benefits are not always distributed equally. The Safety pillar aims to evaluate how safe these systems really are, especially for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and those living in rural or underserved areas. In doing so, it ensures that safety improvements leave no one behind, making safety a key measure of mobility equity.
This pillar examines both the actual and perceived safety of CCAM systems. It looks at how new mobility technologies perform in terms of crash risk, infrastructure readiness, and protection of vulnerable users. It also explores how risks may differ depending on geography or social background, i.e. whether a user lives in an urban or rural area, or belongs to a group historically exposed to more dangerous traffic conditions. Other aspects such as communication reliability, cybersecurity risks, and the physical environment (like poor lighting or lack of pedestrian crossings) will also be considered. These aspects were selected based on expert studies and because they are known to influence safety outcomes significantly in real-world CCAM applications.
Methodological framework
The Safety pillar is developing a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure safety consistently and equitably. These include crash rates per distance travelled, injury rates, the proportion of crashes involving vulnerable users, and predictive measures such as “time-to-collision.” Where crash data is limited, simulations or telematics from vehicles can help fill the gaps. The project partners are using both real-world data and computer models to estimate safety outcomes. These data are then used to calculate a “Safety Equity Score” that reflects how fairly safety benefits are shared across regions and population groups.
“In my view, the most important aspect that the Safety pillar will explore is how well CCAM systems protect vulnerable users – those who are often left out of road safety gains. If we want truly equitable mobility, safety must be universal, not a privilege.” Evi Koliou, Research Associate, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)
The work on the Safety pillar brings together universities, transport authorities, and tech companies. The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) leads the analysis, drawing on its expertise in traffic safety. Other project partners help provide local data, insights into urban planning, and simulation tools. Collaboration is especially important as safety is influenced by many factors, such as vehicle design, road conditions, user behaviour, and digital infrastructure.
Initial results
Initial research shows that CCAM systems can greatly reduce risk in specific areas, such as intersections and lane changes, when they are well-designed and properly deployed. For example, in test environments using simulation tools, autonomous vehicles showed up to 90% reductions in high-risk scenarios when supported by advanced communication networks. However, the results also highlight that these improvements are not guaranteed for all locations or users. For example, poor connectivity or outdated road infrastructure can reduce the effectiveness of safety features.
