Best practices in road safety assets
This master class will examine the role of vehicle restraint systems and traffic signaling in enhancing road safety. It will provide practical guidance on the selection, design, and maintenance of these critical assets, drawing from established standards and field experience. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring effective performance across various road conditions, with attention to both safety outcomes and operational efficiency.
Speakers
Gernot Sauter is Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist in 3M’s Commercial Branding and Transportation Laboratory. As a standardization expert, Gernot drives all EMEA certification and standardization efforts for the 3M Transportation Safety portfolio.
Gernot is passionate about road safety and Vision Zero initiatives. He leads the Reflective Science Center in the Customer Technical Center based in Neuss, Germany.
He frequently engages with transportation authorities, test laboratories and road safety experts in various technical committees.
Gernot is a regular speaker at scientific conferences, e.g. from ERF, IRF, TAIEX on various topics related to roadway safety.
His professional experience includes research and product development, application engineering, lighting technology, quality and certification.
Gernot is a member of CEN, CIE, DIN, FGSV, GTB and various other standard setting organizations.
He holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering of the Technical University Aachen, RWTH.
Miguel-Angel Serrano Santos is an internationally recognised Chartered Civil Engineer with over 20 years of global experience in transport planning, road safety, and traffic engineering. A graduate of the University of Granada in Spain, he currently serves as Lead Trainer for the International Road Federation (IRF), delivering expert training in road safety and traffic management across continents.
Miguel-Angel is also the newly appointed Vice-Chair of the Society of Road Safety Auditors (SoRSA), where he plays a pivotal role in advancing technical standards, shaping policy, and fostering global collaboration in road safety auditing. In addition, he is Vice-President of ASEVI (Spanish Association of Road Safety Auditors), actively bridging professional communities across Europe and beyond.
His extensive career includes leadership roles across the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Africa. He was previously Road Safety Manager at Gloucestershire County Council (UK) and Technical Director in Doha with MSV Global (Land Creation Contracting Group). In parallel, he is also serving as Senior Road Safety Specialist for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), contributing to infrastructure development aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In Qatar, Miguel-Angel held the position of Senior Road Safety Engineer for Ashghal (Public Works Authority), serving as the Road Safety Coordinator for the FIFA World Cup 2022. In Saudi Arabia, he worked as a Road Safety Expert for the National Road Safety Center (NRSC), overseeing strategic auditing frameworks at the national level.
He holds several professional designations, including:
– Chartered Engineer (CEng MICE) with the Institution of Civil Engineers
– Chartered Manager (CMgr MCMI) with the Chartered Management Institute
– Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (FCIHT)
– Fellow of the Society of Road Safety Auditors (FSoRSA)
– Fellow of the Spanish Association of Road Safety Auditors (FASEVI)
Among his notable achievements, Miguel-Angel was the IRF Lead Trainer for the Ten Steps Project in Tanzania, which was awarded the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its transformative impact.
A passionate educator, he has delivered internationally endorsed training programmes and university lectures in traffic management and road safety. His courses have been recognised by IRF, Qatar University, ASEVI, and SoRSA, inspiring and equipping engineers and policymakers across sectors and borders.
