A new star is born!
On September 16th the EFA Board travelled to Brussels to set up the new Belgian EFA. The President of the German EFA Enrique Lorca, the Vice President Stefan Ebner and the Secretary General Manuel Picardi signed the new statute of AIBSL, the European Federation of Driving Schools, in the office of the notary Laurant Vanneste.
President Enrique Lorca: “We are very happy to have succeeded in our task. Due to the pandemic we have not been able to start the international association before today. A new era is opening. Thanks to the new statute we could increase the activities of EFA and open up further to new collaborations. Alea iacta est! “.
EFA at UNECE in Geneve
EFA was again invited to speak at the UNECE Global Forum on Road Traffic Safety. On September the 22nd the Secretary General Manuel Picardi described the state of the art of the European consultation in anticipation of future amendments to the 2006/126 EC directive. Many points that will be evaluated, many also the EFA requests: Alignment of Directive 2006/126 EC to Directive 2003/59 EC (on the age of candidates for driving exams); the regulation of light mobility (i.e. registration, helmet, training and insurance); introduction of a new training model that takes into account vehicle technology and the aging of the population; the need to separate skills from knowledge in training (change exam mode); the adaptation of training and examinations to vehicle technology (ADAS and Code 78); to introduce an European second phase B driving license (EU best practices).
The Presidency of WP1 has set up a working group formed by EFA and AMVAA (American Association of Motor Vehicles Administrators – https://www.aamva.org/) to understand the state of the art of the digital driving license at a global level. At the next UNECE Wp1 session in March, the working group will present the first results.
EFA at RSI Event in Athens
The first week of September EFA attended the 16th birthday of its Greek associate RSI Panos Mylonas. In the international event, President Vassilili Mylonas did the honors by showing some of the important results achieved in recent years. Prominent authorities include Greek Transport Minister Costas Karamanlis, FIA President Jean Todt, and ETSC Executive Director Antonio Avenoso. Both recalled the commitment and the fundamental role that the Greek association has had in the last fifteen years in obtaining the important reduction in road accidents in the Hellenic territory.
Greece in 2021 won the prestigious ETSC PIN AWARD, an award given to the most virtuous country in the field of road safety. And the weight that the CSR association has had in achieving this coveted goal is by mutual agreement. The intervention of Michael Woodford, the President of the Safer Roads Foundation, who presented some of the important results recently achieved by its foundation, was also highly appreciated. In upcoming newsletters, we will have an interview with Mr. Woodford.
From right to left Mr. Jean Todt and Mr. Manuel Picardi 
Greek Minister of Transport Costas Karamanlis 
M.me Vasiliki Mylonas 
Mr. Antonio Avenoso 
Mr. Michael Woodford
Trustonomy Project
EFA as Trustonomy Panel Member participates in the dissemination of the preliminary results of the project.
On the website https://h2020-trustonomy.eu/ the next events in October.
ITF – Micro mobility Equality and Sustainability
The report examines how micromobility (e-scooters, electric bikes and pedal bikes, whether docked or dockless and other forms of light mobility) can address congestion, CO2 emissions and air quality in cities and benefit users. It reviews benefits and social costs to inform the development of governance and regulatory frameworks that can maximise the contribution of shared e-scooters, electric bikes and pedal bikes to accessibility and sustainable mobility and minimise negative effects, particularly for pedestrians.
Human error in motorcycle crashes
The researcher Pedro Huertas-Leyva from Florence University has completed a new interesting study on PTW.
Human error is considered the primary factor contributing to crashes involving powered-two-wheelers (PTW), however not human-factors-based crash analysis methodology has been developed to support effectiveness of rider training interventions. Our aim is to define a methodology that uses in-depth data to identify the skills needed by riders in the highest risk crash configurations to reduce casualty rates.
Driving Examiners – Study
Researchers of Delft University of Technology have completed the scientific study Driving Examiners’ Views on Data-Driven. Assessment of Test Candidates: An interview Study.
International Bus Event
EFA took part in the IBE, international Bus Event at Misano Adriatico (Rimini) on September 30th. During the works, the 2020 road accident data produced by ETSC, referring to heavy vehicles, were presented. EFA delegates showed impressive European data on crashes, highlighting the need to change the current training mode.
