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 justice? His Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship, running until 2028, pursues the project 'Car harms: Automobility and the objects of criminology', and his landmark paper 'Beyond Motonormative Punishment', published in the British Journal of Criminology in 2026, is already reshaping how we think about road safety, law, and regulation…

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 funding, behaviour change and raising training standards. She advocates for practitioner voices at strategic level and contributes governance expertise as a Women on Boards UK member and school governor.

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, reducing harm and supporting a more integrated approach to road safety across Wales and beyond.

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 for Safer Roads and Strategic Mobility Advisor at Windels Marx, he explains how big fleets, smart data and public–private partnerships can slash risk on busy urban networks. We explore why boards need to treat road safety as a core business performance issue, not just a compliance tick‑box, and what it really takes to build a “zero harm” safety culture.

Eric shares powerful examples from major operators like PepsiCo and UPS, shows how smaller fleets can tap into TSR’s tools and support, and reflects on what New York’s Vision Zero journey can teach cities worldwide. We also look ahead at AI-enabled safety tech, intelligent speed assistance and the Safe System ingredients that give him real optimism for the next decade.

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 System thinking and policy priorities to the human factors shaping identity, wellbeing and life beyond driving. We discuss gaps in current provision, the realities of driving cessation, and what practical steps road safety professionals can take to better support an ageing driver population.

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), James Luckhurst hears from Professor Kyd about the current legal framework for driving offences in the UK. The conversation focuses on the distinction between careless and dangerous driving, as well as the need for a comprehensive review of the law.

Two recent fatal driving sentences are examined: Javonnie Tavener and Madeleine Lonsdale – discussing the rationale behind the charges, judicial reactions and the implications for legal consistency and public understanding. Professor Kyd considers the gap between public expectations and actual sentencing in fatal driving cases, as well as the influence of media narratives and the challenges of outcome and hindsight bias in public opinion.

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 Nottinghamshire Police and Ghana Police, she brings wide-ranging project management and partnership experience. Passionate about Ghana, road safety and professional development, she is committed to raising standards across the towing sector and supporting people and businesses to thrive.

National Trailer & Towing Association Ltd

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. Previously at RoSPA, he authored “Road Safety and Public Health” and led projects connecting active travel, urban planning and population health. His current work focuses on neighbourhood health, homelessness and health data, and using cross-sector partnerships to improve outcomes for vulnerable communities.