SWOV does not only carry out research for clients in the Netherlands, but also operates on an international level. Together with European partners, SWOV often participates in EU-projects in the field of road safety. Furthermore, non-European countries frequently approach SWOV because they wish to make use of our internationally acclaimed knowledge and research capacities.
International projects
A selection of our international projects in 2020:
- LEVITATE: This EU project will look at how autonomous vehicles can improve safety, congestion and the environment.
- MEDIATOR: This EU project focuses on optimal coordination between a human driver and (partly) autonomous vehicle systems.
- VIRTUAL:This EU project develops virtual methods of crash testing to improve road safety.
- Baseline: The aim of this project is to support Member States in collecting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Road Safety.
- ERSO: The European Road Safety Observatory (ERSO) gathers harmonised specialist information on road safety practices and policy in European countries.
The MeBeSafe project (Measures for Behaving Safely in Traffic) was also completed at the end of 2020: the "Measures for Behaving Safely in Traffic" project started on May 1, 2017. SWOV was one of the 15 partners in this study. The aim was to use sensor-based feedback such as 'nudging' and 'coaching' to develop new measures to steer drivers and cyclists towards safer behavior.
International cooperation
SWOV has been a member of FERSI, the Forum of European Road Safety Research Institutes, for many years. As of 2018, Rob Eenink and Ingrid van Schagen have been appointed president and secretary, respectively. SWOV director Peter van der Knaap has been appointed to the Advisory Board for the United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund. The Road Safety Trust Fund has set itself the goal of accelerating the improvement of road safety worldwide. Nicole van Nes is board member of Humanist, the European network for experts in Human Factors in Transport.