UK RSOs urged to take advantage of summer school

A road safety summer school being held in Belgium next month could provide the ideal opportunity for UK road safety professionals to learn from their peers across the EU, according to Road Safety GB’s director of research.

The five-day European Road Safety Summer School (28 Aug-1 Sept) will present an integrated approach to road safety, based on good examples from across Europe. The course, organised by the VSV (Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge), will also provide networking and knowledge exchange opportunities.

The course is supported by Road Safety GB, with three UK speakers featuring on the agenda: Liz Brooker MBE, vice chair of Road Safety GB; Jeremy Phillips, director of research at Road Safety GB; and Marie Woltman, Devon County Council’s road safety data analyst.

Jeremy Phillips said: “Having contributed to the summer school last year, I can certainly recommend it to fellow road safety professionals in the UK.

“With the UK making slow progress on reducing road deaths and currently way short of its 2020 target – according to the recent Road Safety Performance Index Report – this is no time for complacency.

“The excellent historical progress that the UK has made in reducing its road toll inevitably means that continuing to make progress at a similar rate is going to be tough. Practitioners will be looking for new ideas and methods to help them achieve their ambitions – and the public’s expectations – for casualty reduction. 

“The summer school could provide just the opportunity UK road safety professionals are looking for to learn from the experience of their peers elsewhere in the EU.”

Themes and topics across the five days include exploring the safe system approach, with a particular focus on vision and strategy, target setting and data-driven policy. Presentations focusing on specific risk groups and vulnerable road users including young drivers, pedestrians and cyclists will also feature on the programme.

Speakers will address national, regional and local road safety strategies in education and awareness raising, as well as looking at infrastructure and technology. Enforcement as part of an integrated approach to road safety will also be discussed.

For more information, or to register to attend, visit the Road Safety Summer School website, or contact the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge directly via email.