Master’s in Road Safety Engineering and Vision Zero
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in road safety and Vision Zero engineering, with 12 modules covering crash data analysis, human factors, speed management, safe infrastructure, road safety audits, vulnerable users, vehicle safety, post-crash care, road safety management and evaluation of measures, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this programme. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Apply Vision Zero and Safe System principles.
Analyse crash data using statistical methods.
Design road infrastructure that reduces crash severity.
Carry out road safety audits and inspections.
Protect vulnerable road users through targeted measures.
Evaluate the effectiveness of measures using rigorous methods.
Implement road safety management systems according to ISO 39001.
Who it's for
- Road safety engineers.
- Road safety auditors.
- Crash data analysts.
- Municipal road safety officers.
- Work-related road safety consultants.
- Road traffic accident investigators.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to move into road administration.
What you'll work with
- ISO 39001:2012 (road traffic safety management systems)
- Directive 2008/96/EC as amended by Directive (EU) 2019/1936 (road infrastructure safety management)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 (general vehicle safety)
- Highway Safety Manual (AASHTO) (quantitative safety analysis)
- Norma 3.1-IC Trazado (Spanish road geometric design standard)
- Orden Circular 35/2014 (Spanish guidance on vehicle restraint systems)
- EN 1317 (road restraint systems)
- QGIS
- ViDA (iRAP)
- PC-Crash
- R
- Python (pandas, statsmodels)
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1The global scale of road casualties1.2Vision Zero: Swedish origins and principles1.3The Safe System approach1.4The Haddon Matrix1.5Shared responsibility between stakeholders1.6Global Plan for the Decade of Action 2021-20301.7Spain's Road Safety Strategy 20301.8European targets and the Valletta framework1.9Key performance indicators (KPIs)1.10Case study: analysis of a national road safety strategy
2.1Crash databases and their quality2.2Under-reporting and linkage with hospital data2.3The MAIS scale and serious injuries2.4Crash rates and exposure2.5Identification of high-concentration sections2.6Empirical Bayes methods2.7Safety performance functions2.8Spatial analysis of crashes2.9Trend analysis2.10Practical exercise: identifying high-risk road sections
3.1Perception and reaction time3.2Distraction and mobile phone use3.3Alcohol, drugs and fatigue3.4Speed and behaviour3.5Novice and older drivers3.6Self-explaining roads3.7Forgiving road design3.8Behaviour change and campaigns3.9Ergonomics of signage3.10Case study: human factors analysis of a crash
4.1Collision physics and speed4.2Credible speed limits4.330 km/h cities and documented effects4.4Spot and average speed camera enforcement4.5Self-explaining road design4.6Intelligent speed assistance (ISA)4.7Traffic calming measures4.8Speed through village through-roads4.9Public acceptance of speed limits4.10Workshop: speed management plan for a municipality
5.1Geometric design and safety5.2Roadsides and clear zones5.3Vehicle restraint systems5.4Safe junction design5.5Roundabouts as a safety measure5.62+1 roads with median separation5.7Signage and delineation5.8Road lighting and night-time visibility5.9iRAP assessment and star ratings5.10Practical exercise: iRAP star rating of a road section
6.1Directive 2008/96/EC and its amendment6.2Road safety impact assessment6.3Audits at project design stages6.4Inspection of roads in service6.5Network-wide assessment6.6Checklists6.7Auditor profile and training6.8Audit report and response6.9Follow-up of measures6.10Case study: audit of a bypass project
7.1Pedestrians: crash patterns7.2Cyclists and personal mobility vehicles7.3Motorcyclists and road protection7.4Children and school environments7.5Older people as pedestrians7.6Visibility and blind spots of heavy vehicles7.7Safe pedestrian crossings7.8Protected cycling infrastructure7.9Low-cost measures7.10Workshop: safety diagnosis of a school environment
8.1Euro NCAP and its protocols8.2The General Safety Regulation for vehicles8.3Autonomous emergency braking8.4Lane keeping8.5Event data recorders8.6The eCall automatic emergency call system8.7Pedestrian protection in vehicle design8.8Heavy vehicle safety8.9Corporate fleet safety8.10Case study: safety assessment of a fleet
9.1The chain of survival9.2Emergency response time9.3Coordination of services9.4Crash scene management9.5Crash investigation9.6Crash reconstruction9.7Victim support9.8Medical data and rehabilitation9.9Lessons learned from serious crashes9.10Practical exercise: simplified reconstruction of a pedestrian collision
10.1ISO 39001: the management system10.2Municipal road safety plans10.3Work-related road safety10.4Economic appraisal of measures10.5Prioritisation with cost-benefit analysis10.6Governance and coordination10.7Risk communication10.8Public participation in road safety10.9Monitoring indicators10.10Workshop: work-related road safety plan
11.1Before-and-after designs with comparison groups11.2Control groups and regression to the mean11.3Crash modification factors11.4The CMF Clearinghouse and its use11.5Traffic conflict analysis11.6Simulation and surrogate safety measures11.7Meta-analysis of measures11.8Economic evaluation of measures11.9Reporting results11.10Lab: empirical Bayes evaluation of an intervention
12.1Selection of the study area12.2Crash data analysis12.3Diagnosis according to the Safe System12.4Proposal of prioritised measures12.5Assessment of expected effectiveness12.6Economic analysis of the proposal12.7Implementation and monitoring plan12.8Conclusions and recommendations12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, ViDA (iRAP), PC-Crash, R, Python (pandas, statsmodels), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: analysis of crash databases, road safety audits at design stage and in service, and before-and-after evaluations of measures. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: ISO 39001:2012, Directive 2008/96/EC as amended by Directive (EU) 2019/1936, Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, Highway Safety Manual (AASHTO), Norma 3.1-IC Trazado, Orden Circular 35/2014, EN 1317.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with QGIS, ViDA (iRAP), PC-Crash, R and Python (pandas, statsmodels), using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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