WIREDGOV

Technology’s role in the changing face of road safety will be the theme at this year’s RoSPA Road Safety Conference, which returns on Thursday, March 9.

It has been 100 years since the foundations of RoSPA were created, and since the charity’s inception the roads and vehicles have changed dramatically, but tackling road user error is just as important as it was in 1916.

In an ever more technological world, the discussion of technology on the road – mobile phones, autonomous “driverless” vehicles, and telematics to name a few – is never far from news reports.

Talks on March 9 will cover issues such as driverless vehicles, hands-free phones, virtual reality’s role in educating the next generation of drivers, 20mph limits and zones, new road safety policy, and child car seats.

Speakers this year include Dr Margaret Peden, coordinator for unintentional injury prevention at the World Health Organisation, Mel Jones, transportation behaviour change manager at Birmingham City Council, Nick Lloyd, RoSPA’s road safety manager, Paul Speight, watch manager for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and Mark Bennett, European senior technical and training manager at Britax.

There will also be exhibitors including Continental Automotive, Exeros-Technologies, FirstCar, and The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS).

Nick Lloyd said: “So much of what we do on the road today is dictated and affected by changing technology and its usage. It’s important that as road safety professionals, we come together to consider the factors which will change the demands placed upon us, so that we can prepare policies and programmes which deliver safer roads for the future.

“The conference will be of interest to all road safety practitioners, researchers, policy makers and stakeholders.”

The RoSPA Road Safety Conference 2017, sponsored by Britax, will be taking place at The Studio in Birmingham between 9.30am and 3.45pm. All those interested in attending should visit www.rospa.com/events/road, or contact the RoSPA events team on 0121 248 2091 or events@rospa.com.