SKVZA President Ing. Jozef Rohal opened the proceedings.

The programme brought together speakers from universities, industry, emergency services and driving school associations.

On the training side, Ing. Jozef Rohal presented his project for driving schools certified to European standards. Ing. Jan Vrabel of the University of Žilina described the new curricula, training structure and driving tests in Slovak driving schools. TSS GROUP showed modern approaches to instructor training, including a new geolocation system for monitoring driving lessons. AAŠČR President Ing. Aleš Hořčička presented a virtual reality platform that helps learners prepare for the first stage of the driving test.

Research and technology also featured strongly. Prof. Gianluca Di Flumeri of Sapienza University of Rome presented a study on hazard perception among drivers of automated vehicles, linked to the “Yellow Car” video produced by EFA with JellyLearn. Other speakers looked at hydrogen mobility and new powertrains, the challenges of fighting fires in electric vehicles, the qualifications needed for fuel tanker drivers under ADR rules, and the state of compulsory motor insurance in Slovakia and the EU.

The event, held under the title “The New Driving Licence Directive: How Civil Society is Shaping the Future of Road Safety in the EU,” was structured around three core themes — training, disability, and vulnerable road users — reflecting the areas where EFA has been most active in recent years at both national and European level.

The morning session on training featured contributions on CPR in driving schools, hazard perception, neuroscience-based approaches to safe driving, and periodic training for licence holders. The disability session that followed brought together experts from Germany, France, and Italy to share best practices on training instructors, using simulators for people with reduced mobility, and supporting deaf learners. The afternoon closed with a session on vulnerable road users, including perspectives from Belgium, Spain, and grassroots Italian initiatives involving young people.

Manuel Picardi, EFA General Secretary, expressed satisfaction with the outcome: “We are very pleased with how the event went. We brought together several European countries — France, Spain, Germany and Belgium — to share how their training systems have helped shape the new Driving Licence Directive, and to illustrate how we hope these models can be introduced in Italy in the coming years. We structured the day around three specific themes: training, disability, and vulnerable road users. These are the areas where EFA has been working with the greatest determination in recent years, and where it has achieved significant results at international and institutional level.”

The presence of MEPs Carlo Fidanza and Francesco Torselli, alongside a video message from Claire Depré, Head of Unit at DG Move of the European Commission, underlined the political relevance of the debate and the growing recognition of civil society’s role in shaping EU road safety policy.