The TYROSAFE project: Towards safe and green road transport

Abstract TYROSAFE (Tyre and Road Surface Optimisation for Skid resistance and Further Effects) is a Coordination Action funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme. The TYROSAFE project started on the 1st of July 2008. The main objectives of the project are to raise awareness, to coordinate and prepare for European harmonisation and to optimise the assessment and management of essential tyre/road interaction parameters in order to increase safety and support greening of European road transport. This Coordination Action will not only focus on the road surface but also on tyres and on the interaction between the road surface and tyres. Only an optimised interaction can lead to a high level of safety for drivers on the roads in European countries while ensuring the most positive greening effect, through reduction of CO2 output and noise emissions. This project will provide a synopsis of the current state of scientific understanding and its current application in national and European standards. It will identify the needs for future research and propose a way forward in the context of the future objectives of European road administrations in order to optimise three key properties of European roads: skid resistance, rolling resistance and tyre/road noise emission. The TYROSAFE contribution in all these three areas will help particularly the public authorities of the member states to use existing and new research knowledge to reduce fatalities and promote environmental compatibility of road surfaces. In addition, the project will also create a solid scientific background for further research and for the development of harmonised policies with regard to essential road surface properties. The aim of the present paper is to inform on the current project status and to disseminate the main findings of the TYROSAFE project.