In modern societies, road traffic accidents remain a major societal issue. Over half of the road fatalities and injuries involve vulnerable users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Although the European Union has set ambitious goals and has indeed made progress in improving road safety and reducing traffic fatalities, there are still several important problems, namely those related to human factors and behaviour, which are particularly complex and challenging to address.
Given the good climate conditions in the Mediterranean area and the flexibility of movement, the majority of urban last mile deliveries are realized by motorbikes. At the same time, other types of vehicles, such as cargo bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, are increasingly used to support sustainability and promote micro-mobility. The use of two-wheeled vehicles makes last-mile delivery professionals vulnerable road users who unfortunately face high risks, often with fatal outcomes. Their exposure to danger is higher than other users both due to the work conditions being constantly on the street, but also due to their own driving behaviour which may deteriorate over time because of fatigue or other relevant risk factors.
SaferDeli project aims to alter this condition by improving delivery drivers’ road safety skills through specialized training. Recognizing the challenges of road safety education of the specific target group, SaferDeli partnership is committed to jointly develop the multidisciplinary material and platform format to properly train last-mile-delivery professionals on specific topics that (i) are relevant to their everyday tasks, (ii) concern them in real-life, and (iii) attract their interest. By exploiting the effective mix of digital and in-person training activities, SaferDeli will address the factors impacting road safety within this sector.
Project Τitle: “Safer driving behaviour for last-mile-delivery professionals through digital and multidisciplinary training” (SaferDeli)
Project Duration: 24 months (1st of November 2023 – 31st of October 2025)
Project URL: https://saferdeli.uniwa.gr/
Project Framework & Funding: Erasmus+ Programme, Action type «KA220-VET-Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training», National Agency « State Scholarship Foundation (IKY)», Total budget 250.000 €
Scientific coordinator (UNIWA): Panagiotis Papantoniou, Assistant Professor
Consortium – Partners:
- University of West Attica, Greece
- TPCT Consulting & Events Ltd, Italy
- University of Maribor, Slovenia
- Technical High School for Transport and Logistics Split, Croatia
- A LOT S.R.L., Italy
Research Publications / Results / Patents: The 1st deliverable of the project has been published on the official website of Project Material | SaferDeli. The 2nd deliverable has also been produced, however its publication in a scientific journal/conference is expected.
Paper in Dublin, TRA
