Tell us a few words about yourself, your experience in the field and your role. I have been a Transportation Engineer from beginning to end. Upon graduating from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), I had already chosen the path of transportation engineering, and since then I have been involved in all aspects of
What motivated your deep dive into the systemic impacts of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits, and how do these findings contribute to broader “Vision Zero” and “Safe System” strategies across the EU? I have been working for more than 30 years on road safety and I can tell you that just after the COVID-19 pandemic,
The NTUA Road Safety Observatory is a Center of Research & Innovation Excellence on Road Safety, with global recognition with more than 30 years of contribution to scientific decision support in Greece, Europe and worldwide. The new Road Traffic Code is a key action of the National Strategic Plan for Road Safety prepared with the
How is road safety affected when the speed limit in urban areas is reduced to 30 km/h? Since the pandemic, several cities in Europe and even an entire country, Spain, have adopted a citywide 30 km/h speed limit, of course with certain exceptions of main axes. It is a measure which, for the first time,
George Yannis is a Professor in Traffic and Safety Engineering and Director of the Department of Transportation Planning Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). He leads the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, a Center of Research and Innovation Excellence with global recognition for its highly valuable contribution to safer mobility for all, in
Road safety in Greece remains a major public health concern, highlighted once again by the horrific road crash that occurred in Crete on 11 January 2025. According to ELSTAT data, between January and November 2024 alone, there were 10,581 road crashes resulting in 616 fatalities. In total, in the period 1991 - 2021 in Greece,
How your role and that of your organization relates to the EU road safety Framework 2021-2030? I have been working on road safety for more than 30 years, especially with the EU, on the one hand through research projects, and on the other hand through supporting EU road safety policy. I have been contributing, in
How did you get involved in the transport space? Why in this place? Why are you so passionate about this? Things happened like this: I was studying Civil Engineering at NTUA and my Diploma Thesis was on road safety. And then I continued and never stopped. It kept expanding, covering more and more areas, because
What are the main causes of traffic congestion in Athens? Traffic congestion in Athens has intensified in recent years due to increased demand for travel, especially after the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more people are choosing to travel in their private cars, creating congestion on the road network, especially during peak
In many major European cities, already for some years, the Authorities have focused on limiting private car use and reducing speeds by applying a 30 km/h speed limit in city centers. On the contrary, in Greece, there are still voices claiming that such a measure, i.e. the horizontal adoption of the city-wide 30 km/h speed
