Program & activities

Goal: To get familiar with the programme, organizers, and the Safe System approach; to exchange insights on road safety challenges in other countries; to set the stage for international learning and collaboration.

Timetable:

• • 9:00 – 10:00 – Registration

• 10:00 – 10:10 – Welcome speech of the Dean of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences (Assoc. Prof. Marko Šoštarić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)

• • 10:10 – 10:30 – Presentation of Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences and University of Zagreb (Vice Dean for Science and External Cooperation– Asst. Prof. Dario Babić, Ph.D.)
  • 10:30 – 10:50 – Presentation of the summer school program (welcome note from the organizers)
  • 10:50 – 11:00 – Coffee break
  • 11:00 – 12:00 – Understanding the Safe System Approach – Part 1 (Asst. Prof. Dario Babić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)
  • 12:00 – 12:10 – Short break
  • 12:10 – 13:10 – Understanding the Safe System Approach – Part 2 (Asst. Prof. Dario Babić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)
  • 13:10 – 13:40 – Lunch break
  • 13:40 – 14:40 – Road Safety Across Borders: Insights from Participant Countries – Part 1 (participants)*
  • 14:40 – 14:50 – Short break
  • 14:50 – 16:10 – Road Safety Across Borders: Insights from Participant Countries – Part 2 (participants)*

• 19:00 – Welcome dinner (costs included in the participation fee)

*Participants need to prepare 2-3 slides about the road situation in their respected countries – road safety statistics, main causes of fatalities in road 

Goals: To introduce participants with key human factor aspects of road safety, including sensation & perception and attention in driving; to explore how persuasive communication can be used to influence risk-related cognitions and emotions in the context of sensitization-oriented multi-media campaigns.

Timetable:

• • 9:00 – 10:30 – The role of sensation & perception in safe driving (Prof. Kris Brijs, Ph.D. – Transportation Research Institute, Hasselt University, Belgium: lecture)
  • 10:30 – 10:40 – Short break
  • 10:40 – 11:40 – The role of attention in safe driving (Prof. Kris Brijs, Ph.D. – Transportation Research Institute, Hasselt University, Belgium: lecture)
  • 11:40 – 12:00 – Coffee break
  • 12:00 – 13:00 – Persuasive communication and road safety sensitization: key-concepts, evidence for effectiveness and best practices (Prof. Kris Brijs, Ph.D. – Transportation Research Institute, Hasselt University, Belgium: guided online self-study)*
  • 13:00 – 13:45 – Lunch break
  • 13:45 – 14:45 – Strategies for message design: critical success parameters and illustrative examples (Prof. Kris Brijs, Ph.D. – Transportation Research Institute, Hasselt University, Belgium: interactive session)
  • 14:45 – 15:00 – Short break
  • 15:00 – 16:00 – Country-specific illustrations of road safety campaigns (Prepared and presented by summer school participants: interactive session)**

• Guided city tour (free)

*Participants need to bring their laptops to access the online materials

**Participants need to prepare the materials, i.e. illustrate (preferably by means of visual images and tv-trailers) how sensitization campaigns in their respective countries have tried to influence risk-related opinions & emotions road safety in the past.

Goals: To learn key principles of safe road design and to apply theoretical knowledge through group work; to gain insight into roundabout design and its safety effects in real-world traffic scenarios.

Timetable:

• 9:00 – 10:00 – Principles of Safe Road Design – Part 1 (Assoc. Prof. Ali Pirdavani, Ph.D. – Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Hasselt, Belgium)
• 10:00 – 10:10 – Short break
• 10:10 – 11:10 – Principles of Safe Road Design – Part 2 (Assoc. Prof. Ali Pirdavani, Ph.D. – Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Hasselt, Belgium)
• 11:25 – 12:25 – Principles of Safe Road Design – Group work – Part 1 (Assoc. Prof. Ali Pirdavani, Ph.D. – Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Hasselt, Belgium)
• 12:25 – 13:00 – Lunch break 
• 13:00 – 14:00 – Principles of Safe Road Design – Group work – Part 2 (Assoc. Prof. Ali Pirdavani, Ph.D. – Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Hasselt, Belgium)
• 14:00 – 14:10 – Short break
• 14:10 – 15:10 – Roundabout designs and their safety effects – Part 1 (Assoc. Prof. Luka Novačko, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)
• 15:10 – 15:20 – Short break
• 15:20 – 16:20 – Roundabout designs and their safety effects – Part 2 (Assoc. Prof. Luka Novačko, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)

Free evening

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Goals: To understand the role of high-quality road markings and signs in road safety and their importance for automated and autonomous vehicles; to explore measurement methods, and to gain practical insight into the functioning and safety impact of traditional and smart traffic signal systems.

Timetable:

• 9:00 – 10:30 – Reading the road ahead (Harald Mosböck – SWARCO AG – VP RMS Region Europe and President of European Union Road Federation – ERF)

• 10:30 – 10:45 – Coffee break

• 10:45 – 11:45 – Importance of road markings and their quality on road safety – (Asst. Prof. Dario Babić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)

• 11:45 – 11:50 – Short break

• 11:50 – 12:50 – Importance of road signs and their quality on road safety – Part 1 (Prof. Darko Babić, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)

• 12:50 – 13:30 – Lunch break

• 13:30 – 14:15 – Importance of road markings and signs their quality on road safety – Part 2 – Laboratory demonstration (Asst. Prof. Dario Babić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)

• 14:15  14:25 – Short break

• 14:25 – 15:00 – Presentation of measuring equipment for quality control of road markings and road signs (Prof. Darko Babić, Ph.D.; Asst. Prof. Dario Babić, Ph.D.; Mario Fiolić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)

• 15:00 – 15:10 – Short break

• 15:10 – 16:00 – Basic concepts behind traffic lights (Slaviša Babić, Croatian Roads Ltd.)

• 16:00 – 16:10 – Short break

• 16:10 – 17:00 – Smart traffic light and road safety (Slaviša Babić, Croatian Roads Ltd.)

Goal: To extend participants’ knowledge of road safety elements and work zone protection; to familiarize participants with different road restrain systems; to introduce participants to safe road design for motorcyclists; familiarize participants with road safety on level crossings.

Timetable:

• 9:00 – 10:00 – Road Restraint Systems – The use of Crash cushions on forgiving highways (Valeria Di Giacomo- Lindsay, The Netherlands)

• 10:00 – 10:10 – Short break

• 10:10 – 11:10 – Work Zone Safety – Temporary road marking, positive protection and TMAs (Valeria Di Giacomo – Lindsay, The Netherlands) 

• 11:10 – 11:25 – Coffee break

• 11:25 – 12:25 – Road Connect – Asset monitoring (Valeria Di Giacomo – Lindsay, The Netherlands) 

• 12:25 – 13:00 – Lunch break

• • 13:00 – 14:00 – Smart Roadside Guardrails for Improved Road Safety — Case Study for Motorcyclist Safety (Darko Žvan – Micro-Link Ltd., Croatia)

• 14:00 – 14:10 – Short break

• 14:10 – 15:10 – Road design and motorcycle safety (Prof. Tomaž Tollazzi, Ph.D. – Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture, University of Maribor, Slovenia)

• 15:10 – 15:20 – Short break

• 15:20 – 16:20 – Level Crossing: To Cross or Not to Cross? (Prof. Danijela Barić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)

Free evening

Goal: To explore the role of event data recorders in traffic accident analysis; to introduce participants to impact of vehicle technical inspections on road safety; to introduce participants to the Black Spot Identification; to show participants a real crash test at a test site.

Timetable:

• 09:00 – 10:00 – Traffic accidents analysis using data from Event Data Recorder (Assoc. Prof. Željko Šarić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)

• 10:00 – 10:15 – Coffee break

• 10:15 – 11:15 – Impact of vehicle technical inspections on road traffic safety (Prof. Goran Zovak, Ph.D. – Center for Vehicles of Croatia / Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)

• 11:15 – 11:30 – Coffee break

• 11:30 – 12:30 – Black Spot Identification through Road Safety Inspection and Crash Analysis (Assoc. Prof. Željko Šarić, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb)
• 12:30 – 13:30 – Lunch break
• 13:30 – 14:30 – Crash test 
• Free evening

FREE DAY – Sunday 31/08/2025

Goal: To explore key aspects of road safety through case studies; to learn how to apply crash modification factors, to assess safety performance, to understand the framework of road safety audits; to gain insights into global practices through the iRAP assessment methodology.

Timetable:

• 09:00 – 10:00 – Black spots: Croatian case studies (Slaviša Babić, MSc. Eng. – Croatian Roads, Ltd.)

• 10:00 – 10:10 – Short break

• 10:10 – 11:10 – Crash modification factors (Prof. Carmelo D’Agostino, Ph.D. – Lund University, Sweden)

• 11:10 – 11:25 – Coffee break

• 11:25 – 12:25 – How to measure safety? – (Attila Borsos, Ph.D. – University of Győr, Hungary)

• 12:25 – 13:00 – Lunch break 

• 13:00 – 14:00 – Basic Framework for Road safety audits & inspection (Assoc. prof. Attila Borsos, Ph.D. – University of Győr, Hungary)

• • 14:00 – 14:10 – Short break
  • 14:10 – 15: 10 – First-hand experiences of road safety audits (Assoc. prof. Dániel Miletics, Ph.D. – University of Győr, Hungary)
  • 15:10 – 14:20 – Short break

• 14:20 – 16:00 – iRAP – experience with road safety assessment worldwide (Assoc. Prof. Marko Ševrović, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)

Free evening

Goal: To use the knowledge acquired in theoretical lectures to conduct a road safety inspection on a real road; to identify potential safety issues and discuss potential solutions based on group work.

Timetable:

• 09:00 – 13:00 – Road Safety Inspection – field work (Juraj Leonard Vertlberg, MSc. Traff. Eng.; Marko Švajda, MSc. Traff. Eng. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)

• 13:00 – 13:30 – Lunch break

• 13:30 – 16:30 – Road Safety Inspection – Group work on a case study – Part 1 (Juraj Leonard Vertlberg, MSc. Traff. Eng.; Marko Švajda, MSc. Traff. Eng. – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)

20:00 – Gala dinner (costs included in the participation fee)