This article reports on the Third International Conference on Safety in Road and Rail Tunnels, held from 9 to 11 March 1998 at Nice, France. Over 100 authors from 19 countries presented papers, and there were discussion forums on technical themes led by eminent experts. This interest was stimulated by the growing concern for safety in road and rail tunnels by operators, engineers, government agencies, and travellers. Subjects covered included hazards and risks, risk management, physical and numerical modelling, planning and design for facilities and equipment, operational management and practice, emergency response planning and practice, and disaster recovery. The conference chairman noted that investigations into incidents revealed many non-technical factors that contributed to their causes and consequences. There were presentations on fires in the Channel Tunnel, Norwegian tunnels, and a subway in Azerbaijan, and on attempts to improve the transportation of dangerous goods through tunnels. Much attention was devoted to numerical simulation, including the growing application of fluid dynamics to tunnels. There was a series of presentations on the Oresund Link which will connect Denmark and Sweden. Another presentation noted the need for close cooperation between tunnel operators and local emergency services.