At the end of June, the first CPR training course for driving instructors was held in Milan, Italy. Organized by the Italian Resuscitation Council (IRC), a member of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), the course lasted five hours and certified the driving instructors as CPR operators. The next phase aims to certify these instructors as CPR trainers, enabling them to offer CPR training at their driving schools to students and colleagues.

Manuel Picardi, Secretary General of the European Federation of Driving Instructors (EFA), expressed his satisfaction: “We are very pleased to have finally launched these courses. Despite some technical delays, we are moving in the right direction. We hope to set an example for driving instructors across Europe. The European institutions recognize the importance of this training in the process of obtaining a driving license, and they are considering the possibility of introducing a CPR training module. Driving instructors should be the ones authorized to provide this essential training.”

Federico Semeraro, Chair Elect of the European Resuscitation Council, shared his enthusiasm for this pivotal initiative in Italy, stating, “I am very happy about this first step to implement a European vision.”

In Portugal, driver licensing requires a minimum mandatory training in a driving school. Mr. Antonio Reis, the ANIECA’s President, declares: “We believe that the quality of trainers is essential to ensure that new drivers have appropriate behavior after passing the practical test. ANIECA actively invests in the preparation of driving instructors and we take advantage of mandatory periodic training not only to analyse the most recent legislative, technological and pedagogical changes, but also to prepare proposals for legislative changes. The Portuguese Government recently approved a new instructor training model, with ANIECA’s help and partnership, which we had the opportunity to present at the delegates meeting held in May, in Helsinki. We take every opportunity to exchange experiences with colleagues represented at EFA. And it was with this spirit of sharing that we participated in the event promoted by our colleagues from the Czech Republic aimed at motorcycle instructor”.

Successful webinar on the Portuguese model of training and examination of candidate drivers and instructors, held by the Panhellenic Federation of Driving Instructions & Athens Chamber of Tradesmen.

Of particular interest was the online seminar successfully held by the Panhellenic Federation of Driving Instructors and the Athens Chamber of  Tradesmen, on Wednesday 6/26/2024, focusing on the Portuguese model of training and examination of candidate drivers and instructors.

The webinar hosted the General Secretary of the European Driving Schools Federation (EFA) Manuel Picardi, who informed about the goals of the EFA in the next period, and the Vice-President of the Portuguese Driving Schools Federation (ANIECA) Pedro Saldanha, who presented the Portuguese model.

The President of the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen,  Mr. Yiannis Chatzitheodosiou, addressed a greeting, underlining the long-term support of the Chamber in the field of driving instructors. He also focused on the important remunerative services offered by the  Chamber to its members, from the free creation of an e-shop and website to the advice provided by specialized partners as well as the organization of events. “In total, our remunerative services exceed 40, something we are proud of and we will continue our efforts to increase them”, Mr. Chatzitheodosiou noted, among other things.

The discussion was moderated by the President of the Panhellenic Federation of Driving Instructors and Vice-President of the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen Mr. Nikos Grentzelos. In his initial statement, Mr. Grentzelos referred to the recent Chamber’s integration  as a member of the European Federation of Driving Schools, while he informed that a similar request has been submitted for the Panhellenic Federation. On the occasion of the accession, a delegation of the Chambers as he explained, participated on May 15, 2024 in an EFA meeting in Helsinki, where the process of obtaining a driving diploma in Greece was presented and the problems of the sector in our country were highlighted.

In the webinar also participated and represented the Panhellenic Federation of Driving Instructors:  the Vice-President Mr. Antonis Mastorakis, the Secretary Mrs. Efi Lentsiou and the Treasurer Mr. Stefanos Fortselis!

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) published the 18th edition of PIN Annual Report, presented at the 2024 ETSC Road Safety Performance Index event which took place with great success on 19th June 2024 in Brussels. According to this PIN Report, 20,418 deaths were killed on EU roads in 2023 representing a decrease of only 1% compared to 2022, falling far short of the 6.1% annual reduction needed to achieve the EU target of a 50 % reduction by 2030.

The CIECA report provides information about all the activities that have been organized through this working year. During the event, David Crundall, Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, specialized in Traffic and Transport Psychology, and a regular contributor in our events, has delivered a short speech entitled Changing attitudes towards vulnerable road users.

The European Commission has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Main Factors causing Fatal Crashes Thematic Report, in which the role of key risk factors is quantified and discussed, based on the most recent international literature. These factors concern speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, distraction and other psychoactive substances, and non-use of protective equipment.

The Global status report on road safety 2023 shows that the number of annual road traffic deaths has fallen slightly to 1.19 million. The report shows that efforts to improve road safety are having an impact, and that significant reductions in road traffic deaths can be made if proven measures are applied. Despite this, the price paid for mobility remains too high. Road traffic injuries remain the leading killer of children and young people aged 5-29 years.

Pedestrian safety on the road to net zero: cross-sectional study of collisions with electric and hybrid-electric cars in Great Britain.

In 2020, the ITF published “Good to Go? Assessing the Environmental Performance of New Mobility”. In the four years since its publication, the evidence base regarding the environmental impact of micromobility has improved and significant progress has been made to reduce the environmental impact of micromobility.