More Sustainable but More Dangerous Cities: The Role of Communication Campaigns in Protecting Vulnerable Road Users

  1. Faus Real, Mireia 12
  2. Alonso Pla, Francisco 12
  3. Esteban Martínez, Cristina 12
  4. Velarte González, José Luis 12
  1. 1 Universitat de València
    info

    Universitat de València

    Valencia, España

    ROR https://ror.org/043nxc105

  2. 2 Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Trànsit i Seguretat Viària (INTRAS)
Journal:
Sustainability

ISSN: 2071-1050

Year of publication: 2025

Volume: 17

Issue: 5

Pages: 2002

Type: Article

DOI: 10.3390/SU17052002 GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Sustainability

Abstract

The transition towards a sustainable mobility model encourages an increase in the use of soft modes of transport, and thus an increase in the number of vulnerable road users, especially in urban areas. In Spain, this group of users, comprising pedestrians, cyclists, users of personal mobility vehicles and motorcyclists, accounted for 62,258 victims in road accidents in 2023, 46% of the total, with 7258 dead or seriously injured representing 65.6% of the total. Different strategies to protect vulnerable road users, including communication campaigns, are regularly developed to increase safe travel behaviour. In this context, this study analyses the campaigns issued by the Directorate General of Traffic since 1960 aimed at vulnerable road users. Only 28 campaigns met the established inclusion criteria, representing 23.5% of the total. Thus, the period 2011–2024 has seen the lowest prevalence of this type of campaign, coinciding with a context characterised by the emergence of new forms of micro-mobility that are more sustainable but also more exposed to risks. Due to this complex environment, it is recommended to increase the prevalence of campaigns targeted at vulnerable users and to maximise their effectiveness using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, and delivered through a combination of traditional and digital media.

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Funding information

This research is part of a doctoral thesis, supported by the research grant ACIF/2020/035 (MF) from “Generalitat Valenciana”. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Funders

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