Forum of European Road Safety Research Institutes
European countries have a national road safety research programme, usually led by the national Ministry of Transport. In most countries, there is a single organisation which provides the primary focus for the execution and implementation of this programme. The Forum of European Road Safety Research Institutes (FERSI) was created in 1991 to bring together these national research organisations to provide a common focus for road safety research at the European level. KfV is an active member of the international organisation FERSI.
The policies of FERSI are decided by a Board, comprising the Directors of each of the national research institutes. An Executive Group is responsible for carrying out these policies, and for providing the Board with relevant advice on current research issues that affect the aims and objectives of FERSI.
FERSI’S mission is to :
- provide a forum for developing collaborative research projects aimed at producing solutions to common road safety problems within European countries;
- provide support to the European Commission in defining research needs within Europe;
- encourage the exchange of good practice and research knowledge between countries and
- encourage closer co-operation and, where appropriate, the exchange of researchers between countries.
FERSI believes that a European Road Safety Research Programme should:
- address all key areas for casualty reduction - education, enforcement and both road and vehicle engineering
- seek both short and long term solutions
- seek answers which embrace the differences between European countries in both their problems and the potential effectiveness and acceptability of the solutions
- implement common standards where appropriate, but, more generally, identify and encourage the transfer of good practice between countries to maximise the scope for reducing road casualties throughout Europe
- take account of the key role of road user behaviour in developing and implementing solutions
- obtain solutions which command broad support from public bodies, transport industry and road users alike
In order to promote its aims and objectives, FERSI and its members:
- initiate and carry out research projects in direct support of EU policy work (eg
SARTRE) and Framework projects (eg DUMAS, SAFESTAR, GADGET ....) - provide advice on road safety research matters to national governments and European institutions
- promote and support relevant Conferences, Seminars and Workshops
- encourage the exchange of researchers between European road safety institutes
- establish and maintain strong links with national and international clients for road safety research
- establish and maintain close liaison with other world-wide bodies with a responsibility for road safety research and implementation
