On 11 March 2026, the iEXODDUS project was presented at Intertraffic Amsterdam during the session “Connected Infrastructure and Vehicles: The Next Frontier in Road Safety”, held at the Road Safety Stage. The session brought together experts from European research initiatives and industry to discuss how connected vehicles and smart infrastructure are reshaping road safety and enabling more responsive transportation systems.

Moderated by Brendan Halleman, Senior Advisor at the International Road Federation (IRF), the session featured contributions from several initiatives working on connected and cooperative mobility, including EvoRoads, iEXODDUS, PoDIUM, and Miovision. Speakers explored real-world applications of connected infrastructure, the challenges associated with implementation, and the importance of cross-sector collaboration in advancing safer mobility systems.

Representing the project, Iona Kirkpatrick, EU Project Manager at the International Road Federation, presented the iEXODDUS project and its work on extending the Operational Design Domains (ODDs) of automated vehicles. The presentation explored how connected infrastructure and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication can support automated vehicles in navigating complex environments where automation still faces limitations in GNSS-denied areas such as tunnels, road works, or incident zones. By improving localisation, infrastructure sensors, and connectivity, iEXODDUS aims to reduce the need for driver takeovers and enable safer automated driving under challenging road conditions.

Are the safety benefits of connected mobility reaching all road users?

During the panel discussion, Iona Kirkpatrick highlighted the growing evidence that connected infrastructure and V2X systems can contribute to improved road safety outcomes, particularly by supporting the extension of Operational Design Domains and reducing the need for handovers between automated systems and human drivers in complex environments. At the same time, she noted that these benefits are currently largely concentrated in highly automated vehicles available in specific market segments, meaning they are not yet evenly distributed across all road users.

Looking ahead, she emphasised the importance of ensuring that the technologies being developed — including those explored in iEXODDUS — are also implemented, in the future, in public transport vehicles, helping to ensure broader sections of society benefit from the safety improvements evidenced by connected mobility.