The panel, titled Embedding the Safe System Approach from Individual to National Level, included experts from leading transport and road safety organisations: Elizabeth Box (RAC Foundation), Suzy Charman (Road Safety Foundation), Darren Divall (Transport for West Midlands), Matt Staton (Agilysis), and Margaret Winchcomb (PACTS).

Ward highlighted CIHT’s report Progressing the UK towards Safe System Implementation, which focusses on the challenges of implementing safe speeds and safe roads – two of the elements of the Safe System – in the Uk.

Reductions in the number of people killed and seriously injured on UK roads has been slowing. The Safe System aims to eliminate these incidents through proactive measures and system-wide safety design.

Key recommendations from the report include:
•    Stronger national and local leadership to coordinate Safe System implementation.
•    Aligning speed limits with survivable thresholds.
•    Adopting EU-style General Safety Regulations.
•    Prioritising vehicle technologies such as Intelligent Speed Assistance.
•    Establishing a national road safety investigation branch.

Ward emphasised that “everyone should be able to travel safely,” and that mobility should not be associated with the unacceptable risk of death and serious injury.