My Role in The Safe System

Professor Ian Loader is Professor of Criminology and Professorial Fellow of All Souls College, University of Oxford, and a Fellow of the British Academy. One of Britain's most eminent criminologists, his career has spanned policing, penal policy and public attitudes to crime. In recent years he has turned his attention to a radical new question: what does the car tell us about crime, harm, and jus...

Vicky Folland is keen to use her 20-plus years of experience in driver education, from learner drivers to fleet training, to offer a unique insight into road user behaviour and risk. She’s a RoSPA-affiliated trainer, a trustee of the Road Safety Trust and she looks after the communication and engagement for the Institute of Master Tutors of Driving. Her interests include equity in road safety fund...

In this edition explore the Safe System in practice with Chief Officer Craig Flannery and Head of Community Safety Aled Griffiths from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. They discuss how fire and rescue services contribute far beyond emergency response, from prevention and education to partnership working across agencies. Hear how their on-the-ground experience is shaping safer roads, red...

In this episode of My Role in the Safe System, we’re joined by Eric Richardson – one of the most influential voices in global fleet and urban road safety. As New York City’s former Deputy Chief Fleet Officer, Eric helped push Vision Zero from slogan to reality, rolling out safer vehicles, telematics and sideguards across one of the world’s busiest city fleets. Now Road Safety Advisor to Together f...

In this episode we’re joined by James Gibson of Road Safety GB and Professor Charles Musselwhite to reflect on the Mature Drivers’ Conference held in Birmingham at the end of April 2026. With more than six million drivers aged over 70 on UK roads, we explore the growing urgency of supporting safe, sustainable mobility in later life. The conversation unpacks key insights from the event, from Safe S...

Professor Sally Kyd from the University of Leicester is one of the UK’s leading experts on driving law and criminal justice. She has spent more than two decades studying how our legal framework responds when drivers cause death or serious injury. Her research challenges some long-held assumptions about what makes someone a “competent and careful driver.” In our latest episode (24 April 2026), Jame...

Sarah Smithurst MBE is Chief Operating Officer at the National Trailer and Towing Association (NTTA), the UK’s main body representing the light towing industry. She leads operational delivery, member services and organisational development, championing high standards in trailer safety and customer service. With a background spanning public and private sectors, including extensive work with Notting...

Duncan Vernon is a senior public health specialist in Warwickshire with a background in transport, road safety and health inequalities. He is Associate/Deputy Director and Consultant in Public Health working across Warwickshire County Council and South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, contributing to the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System and Health and Wellbeing Board....

George Chester-Master has built one of the UK’s most influential car culture channels, turning more than a billion views into a force for safer, smarter driving among young and enthusiast drivers. In this episode, he talks candidly to James Luckhurst about his journey from creating engaging performance-focused content to becoming a trusted voice on legality, etiquette and risk on the road. ​ Cruci...

Renee Rogers from Ono talks to James about supporting drivers following a fleet collision. Renee is founder and chief executive of Ono, a company that supports drivers and fleets in the aftermath of some of the most stressful incidents on the road, helping them navigate both the human and organisational impacts of collisions. She also serves as a trustee of the Association for Road Risk Management...

James talks to Steve Bird about how National Highways and the Emergency Services CLEAR a major incident on the Strategic Road Network England’s motorways and major A‑roads make up the Strategic Road Network – more than 4,300 miles of high‑speed routes managed and operated by National Highways . This network is among the most advanced anywhere in the world, supporting around 4 million journeys ever...

Bobby Colleran died in Liverpool in 2014 at the age of six. As a result, his mother Joanne founded the Bobby Colleran Trust and works tirelessly to provide children with road safety education resources. In March 2023, after years of fundraising and dedication, she opened Bobby’s Base, a unique health and well-being centre in West Derby, Liverpool. This one-of-a-kind, child-friendly space offers th...

For this episode, we welcome Adrian Walsh, a defining voice in UK road safety for decades leading initiatives that have transformed how transport safety is understood and delivered. As director of Road Safe and founder of the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards, Adrian has championed collaboration, innovation and evidence led change. This conversation allows a chance to reflect on his...

James Luckhurst sits down with Sarah Vaughan , lead researcher at Angelica Solutions, to explore one of the fastest-changing areas in urban mobility: the rise of E-bikes, and what their growth means for safety, behaviour, policy, and the wider Safe System. Sarah, who has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, returns to the podcast with insights from her latest white paper, which a...

James Luckhurst sits down with Tom Duckham , Chief Executive of Redspeed International, for a conversation about technology, enforcement, career journeys, and what it really takes to make a lasting difference in road safety. Tom’s road into the industry was anything but conventional. As he puts it, a youth spent as a motorcycle dispatch rider meant he “saw things… that I wish I could unsee now”, e...

Commercial drivers keep the UK running, but the personal toll is huge, with high rates of diabetes, chronic fatigue, poor nutrition, and growing mental-health pressures. In this First Friday conversation, James Luckhurst brings together a panel of experts to unpack what’s really happening behind the wheel and what can be done about it. Featuring Mark Cartwright (National Highways), Anna Earl (nutr...

In this fifth edition of Project EDWARD Goes Global , we travel to New Zealand to explore how evidence-based policy and political decision-making can collide when it comes to road safety. Professor Simon Kingham, former Chief Science Advisor to the Ministry of Transport, shares his experience of helping shape the country’s “Road to Zero” strategy, and his frustration as a new government moves to r...

In this edition of Project EDWARD Goes Global , the spotlight turns to Vietnam, where innovation and youth empowerment are driving safer roads. James Luckhurst speaks with Trang Truong from the AIP Foundation , whose AI and Me project recently won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award . By combining artificial intelligence with youth engagement, the initiative empowers students to ident...

In the third edition of Project EDWARD Goes Global , host Harrison Keasey speaks with Thomas Edelmann , founder of Road Safety UAE, a platform dedicated to raising awareness and accountability on the nation’s roads. With over a decade of impact, Thomas shares how evidence-based research, media collaboration, and partnerships with government and industry have helped drive major progress, including...

In this episode of Project EDWARD Goes Global , host Harrison Keasey visits Helsinki, a city long celebrated as a model for Vision Zero success. Joined by Dr. Igor Radun, a traffic psychology researcher, and Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer for the City of Helsinki, the discussion explores how Finland’s capital achieved a full year without a single road fatality, and what lessons can be learned...

Project EDWARD goes global starting with South Africa. Harrison Keasey takes the reigns as he's joined by Alida Venter, founder of Drive More Safely, who shares her personal journey into road safety activism after the tragic loss of her son in a road crash. Alida explains how that moment led to the creation of her non-profit organisation, which has worked tirelessly for nearly two decades to reduc...

James Luckhurst talks with Kate Monk , a driving instructor and trainer from Devon, about her work on My Learner Driver - a resource designed to support safer journeys for young drivers and their families. Drawing on a decade of experience, Kate explains how recent tragedies in her community have shaped her approach to road safety and inspired a programme that goes beyond teaching test skills. Cen...

We revisit one of the most significant milestones in UK road safety: the introduction of compulsory seat belt wearing in the front seats of cars. Host James Luckhurst is joined by former MP Barry Sheerman, broadcaster Nick Ross, safety advocate Jean Gaffin, and barrister Glynn Maddocks, who together reflect on the years of campaigning, setbacks, and breakthroughs that led to the 1983 legislation....

James Luckhurst takes a cycling tour around Regent’s Park with Charlie Wilson from See. Sense, a company pioneering micromobility and cycling safety technology. Charlie shares how See. Sense began with intelligent bike lights that respond to rider behaviour and has since evolved into advanced sensor systems capturing over 800 data points per second. These insights are helping local authorities, tr...

In this episode of the Project EDWARD Podcast , we explore a critical yet often overlooked element of road safety... nutrition. James Luckhurst is joined by nutritional therapist Anna Earl (Nutrivival) and Kate Walker (Diabetes Safety) to examine the powerful links between diet, energy levels, and safe driving performance. From understanding how poor nutrition can lead to fatigue and reduced conce...