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Beyond the Awards with Margaret Winchcomb, Deputy Executive Director, PACTS

Beyond the Awards: Lessons from the Shortlist distils sharp, real-world insight from projects recognised in the CIHT Awards 2026. We ask shortlisted entrants four focused questions on legacy, skills, key learning, and future trends to discover what’s working now and what’s coming next. It’s essential reading for sector professionals looking to benchmark their work, apply lessons learnt now and stay ahead of change.

In this edition we speak to Margaret Winchcomb, Deputy Executive Director, PACTS on the lessons learnt from the project "Safe System Practitioners Network – PACTS" shortlisted for the 2026 CIHT Road Safety Award.

Overview of shortlisted project: Before the 2026 publication of the National Road Safety Strategy, yet while some local authorities were individually aiming towards Vision Zero, PACTS and RSGB set up the Safe System Practitioners Network. Now made up of nearly 30 local transport authorities the network strengthens local delivery of the Safe System principles creating a partnership for driving evidence-based road safety improvements at the local and national level. By sharing good practice and technical guidance at workshops and thorough a public website it is well placed to support implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy towards achieving its world-leading road trauma reduction targets.

   

How did you ensure that the project has long term use and a positive legacy?

Our project has created a legacy, a network which will continue to grow as the knowledge of the Safe System spreads and will continue to support those delivering road safety across our nation. Way back in 2023, we started with a small group of just ten local transport authorities who we knew had already realised that the Safe System provides fresh thinking, principles and guidance to reduce the number of people seriously hurt and killed on our roads. At the start of 2026 the network had grown nearly three-fold. With the Safe System sitting at the heart of the government’s 2026 road safety strategy the network has an even clearer goal, to support the strategy’s implementation to the 65% reduction in people seriously injured and killed on our roads by 2035 and beyond.

   

What kind of skills are critical now for projects such as yours to succeed and why?

Beyond that the leadership team, of PACTS, The Road Safety Foundation, Agilysis and Road Safe GB, brought a wealth of knowledge about the challenges which local transport authorities face, as well as the solutions available to them. We have also benefited from the team’s collaboration outside the network to manage priorities for the group and ways of expanding its reach and influence.

   

What did you learn that you will take into the next project?

The Safe System Network is very much a live project. It is still growing and making its impact known and we continue to actively learn and develop. Putting the Safe System principles into practice means fundamentally changing the way we approach road safety. With no toolkit of interventions currently existing. Instead, decisions on what to do, which priorities to make and how best to change are still required to be made by local practitioners. The network provides structured opportunities for authorities to contribute insights, access resources, as well as identify needs for research, training, and technical advice. The aim is to reduce casualties and enhance consistency in applying Safe System principles across the UK. There is still a long journey ahead.

     

What trends should the sector be paying attention to and why?

With recognition by the Secretary of State that four deaths on our roads every day is unacceptable, the government has set out their target. Action needs to happen now. That will only be most effective with collaboration across the sector. The sector should be paying attention to the work of the members of the Safe System Network because they are the ones who are most progressed towards the goal of a transport system where no one is killed or seriously injured. They have committed to systemic solution, one where we enable more people to survive if a collision does occur. This involves rethinking how we design and manage roads and vehicles, how road users behave and how fast and where they travel, and how we learn when a collision does occur. If people are to be able to travel safely on our roads however they choose then the whole sector needs to be involved.

   

PACTS in their own words

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) is a UK-based registered charity, founded in 1982, dedicated to improving transport safety. We support the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and provide expert advice on road, rail, and air safety to members of the UK Parliament.

Our charitable objective is:

“To protect human life through the promotion of transport safety for the public benefit.”

PACTS plays a unique role by bridging the gap between safety professionals and lawmakers, bringing together experts, policymakers and industry to identify research-based solutions to transport safety challenges.

www.pacts.org.uk

  

Next steps

If you work in highways and transportation, keep an eye out for Beyond the Awards: Lessons from the Shortlist overview (Coming soon) — your single go-to source for sharp, practical insight drawn from standout projects and the people behind them. By bringing together key takeaways from award entries and candid interviews with leading contributors, this feature turns real-world experience into real-world learning that you can apply today to your projects while helping you stay prepared for what’s coming next.

2026 CIHT Award Winners

The results for the 2026 CIHT Awards will be announced at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on 17 June 2026.  To find out more about the Awards Ceremony visit here.

  

CIHT Statement

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the CIHT or its members. Neither the CIHT nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein

  

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