SWARCO Young Mobility Ambassadors Program 2026
Peer-to-Peer Sensitization as a Research Approach
From a transport science perspective, the 14-to-19 age group is statistically at a significantly higher risk of accidents. A central lever for behavioral change is sensitization at eye level. The YMAP program follows this approach by empowering students to become "Road Safety Ambassadors" who serve as role models for their peers.
In the second round of the program, 29 schools with a total of 50 classes from across Austria and Baden-Württemberg participated. Approximately 1,100 students submitted a total of 68 projects, covering a wide range of formats—from apps and vehicle simulations to songs and board games.
The Specialist Jury and the Award Winners
The submissions were evaluated by a high-level jury consisting of experts from SWARCO, the Innsbruck-Land District Police Command, the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV), and Assoc. Prof. PD DI Dr. Juliane Stark from the Institute for Transport Studies at BOKU.
The winning projects were characterized by high content quality and creative depth:
- 1st Place: The Centrum Humanberuflicher Schulen (Villach) impressed with the board game "Do you drink or do you win?".
- 2nd Place: HTL Waidhofen an der Ybbs developed an app including a vehicle simulation on the topic of "Sensors for Alcohol and Fatigue."
- 3rd Place: Gymnasium Oberpullendorf addressed the dangers in road traffic through the song "No Happy End."
Science and Practice in Dialogue
Participation in such initiatives allows our institute to strengthen the bridge between academic research and social practice. The high quality of the submissions demonstrates that the combination of knowledge expansion and creative engagement has an impact far beyond the standard classroom setting.
The next YMAP, starting in autumn 2026, will focus on the safety-relevant topic of "Speed."
Photo: SWARCO