Voi partners up with SAFER to tackle road safety
Voi has become a partner to SAFER Vehicle and Traffic Safety Center at Chalmers University of technology. SAFER is a world-leading open research area and competence centre for vehicle and traffic safety with partners from the industry, academia and society.
SAFER’s overall target is zero fatalities and injuries in road traffic. SAFER’s research approach covers people, vehicles and the infrastructure and is set out to contribute to safer road transports and smarter, more sustainable cities.
“We are impressed by the results from the SAFER network and look forward to contributing with our insights and learning from others in order to increase road safety. Voi has a Vision Zero target, meaning that we are working on eliminating all severe traffic injuries and fatalities by 2030. In order for us to get there, we need to understand what causes traffic accidents and identify the best ways to decrease the risk for accidents”, says Tina Ghasemi Lilljeqvist, Voi’s senior policy manager in Sweden and Denmark.
SAFER contributes to the creation of safe, sustainable, connected and automated traffic systems. The organization has been around for 15 years and carried out 350 projects, published close to 1,000 texts and includes 450 active researchers. The network meets on a regular basis in seminars, webinars, workshops and discussions during which knowledge and relevant findings are shared.
“SAFER adopts a holistic approach to these matters, covering not only vehicles but also infrastructure and people in their work. It is a way of looking at road safety that resonates well with our approach. We believe that in order to yield tangible progress, we have to account for the different components that make up a traffic system. By working together and considering how different areas pertaining to road safety interact, we can contribute to creating safer streets”, says Tina Ghasemi Lilljeqvist.
As part of the journey towards the Vision Zero target, Voi published its first annual Safety Report in the spring of 2021. The report is also corresponding to the Stockholm Declaration’s call for companies to contribute to the road safety-related Sustainable Development Goals and report the progress.
“Road safety is an integral part of the development of micro-mobility and our society’s transition to a more sustainable transport system. We are now seeing that cities are confronted with new mobility needs, stemming from both residents’ demand and the escalating climate crisis. To meet those needs and cherish road safety, we need to adapt urban infrastructure, says Tina Ghasemi Lilljeqvist.
The partnership between Voi and SAFER was initiated in August 2021. SAFER’s network includes more than 40 stakeholders from the industry, academia, and society. A number of Swedish universities are represented, in addition to the Swedish Transport Agency and the Swedish Transport Administration as well as companies like Autoliv, Folksam, IF Insurance, Veoneer, Hövding, Tier, Scania, Volvo Car Corporation and Volvo Group.