SOTERIA: accelerating attainment of Vision Zero in Oxfordshire
Innovative solutions for road safety and micro-mobility integration.
The challenge
Oxfordshire faces significant road safety challenges, particularly for vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as cyclists and pedestrians. Despite the popularity of cycling, with Oxford ranking second highest in the UK for residents cycling at least once a week, road safety remains a significant barrier. Around 30,000 accidents are reported annually, and 43% of active cyclists in Oxfordshire identify traffic and junction safety as their main concerns.
Oxfordshire County Council has signed up to Vision Zero alongside delivering its other road safety aims. This commitment sets interim targets of a 25 per cent reduction in road traffic casualties by 2026 and a 50 per cent reduction by 2030, ultimately striving for zero casualties by 2050.
The solution
The HORIZON-funded SOTERIA project aims to address these challenges through innovative, adaptable, and user-led solutions. The project involves hosting an 18-month pilot living lab in Oxfordshire and recruiting approximately 300 cyclists to test Onsee's REBO, a smart bike light and dashcam that continuously records incidents. This data is analyzed using AI and state-of-the-art techniques to design and run trials of low-cost interventions to improve safety for VRUs. The pilot aims to:
- comprehensively understand multi-dimensional issues related to VRU safety
- test new ways to improve user safety
- gather evidence of significant reductions in safety incidents and near misses
The results will be shared with participants, the public, local councils, and professionals to benefit from the learnings of this research.
We have provided the consortium with:
- the living lab test bed
- recruitment of participants
- stakeholder engagement workshops with vulnerable road users
- communications support to the project
In the final phase, low-cost road safety interventions will be tested, and policy recommendations will be made to the European Commission to support Vision Zero.
The results
The project is still ongoing, so watch this space for the final results!