2017 Question Time


NickNick Rawlings, Chair

Editor, Road Safety News

Nick Rawlings has been editor of Road Safety News since the service was first launched on the Road Safety GB website in 2002. He is also project manager of the Road Safety Knowledge Centre and on the organising committee for the National Road Safety Conference.

 


Shaun-Helman150pxShaun Helman

Head of Transport Psychology, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)

Dr Shaun Helman is a cognitive psychologist who has been involved in researching road safety and driver behaviour for the last 15 years.

He is particularly interested in the links between driver behaviour and safety outcomes such as collisions and injuries, and in high-risk groups such as young and novice drivers, those driving for work, and motorcyclists.


Rob-GiffordRobert Gifford

Chief Executive of the Road Safety Trust

Robert Gifford is Chief Executive of the Road Safety Trust, a registered charity funding research and practical interventions to reduce death and injury on the road. By May 2017, the Trust has supported 11 projects in two rounds of applications amounting to just over £1m. This makes the Trust the leading independent funder of projects of this type.

Between 1994 and 2012, Robert was Executive Director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS). He has also been an independent consultant on road safety policy, a teacher, union policy officer, local councillor and is a trustee of the Wavendon All Music Plan in Milton Keynes.


Amy AT 2015Amy Aeron-Thomas

Advocacy and Justice Manager, RoadPeace

Amy is the Advocacy and Justice Manager for RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims. She was introduced to RoadPeace in 2000 whilst working for TRL on a DFID funded scoping study on community participation in traffic law enforcement.

Her work focuses on challenging the complacency in the justice system towards road danger and the discrimination faced by road crash victims. She coordinates RoadPeace’s collision investigation campaign with thorough and effective collision investigations the cornerstone of justice. Her advocacy role includes producing guides for victim, including on collision investigation, inquest and criminal prosecution, along with providing casework assistance to victims.

Amy initially worked as a transport planner, with degrees in MSc Transportation Engineering, MPA Public Administration and MP Urban and Regional Planning, from the University of Virginia. In TRL’s International Department  (1994-2006), her work included developing national road safety plans, and researching costs of crashes and under-reporting in countries in Africa, Asia and  Europe.


Matt StatomMatt Staton

Road Safety Education Team Leader at Cambridgeshire County Council

Matt Staton is the Road Safety Education Team Leader at Cambridgeshire County Council and Chair of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership’s Data and Intelligence Group. He joined the Road Safety Team in Cambridgeshire 8 years ago and now leads the team of 5 staff in researching, developing, implementing and delivering Road Safety Education activities across Cambridgeshire for all ages.

He has an MSc in Road and Vehicle Safety from Loughborough University and has experience of research into driver distraction, attitudes and behaviour and the evaluation of education programmes. He has played a key role in the development of the road safety partnership’s strategy and the integration of the East of England Major Trauma Centre and wider Trauma Network into the Partnership.


frank-rogersFrank Rogers

Head of Just Motor Law, Kirwans

As head of Just Motor Law, a specialist division of Kirwans, Frank Rogers represents individuals and companies facing prosecution for driving offences throughout England and Wales.

As an expert in motoring offences and road traffic law, Frank advises on technical defences and legal loopholes to present robust and effective legal arguments to the Court to keep his clients driving, while also avoiding or minimising any period of disqualification.

Frank covers all aspects of motoring law including: driving without insurance; speeding; drink driving; drug driving; driving while using a handheld device; failing to identify a driver; careless and dangerous driving and causing death or serious injury by dangerous driving.

As the press spokesperson for Just Motor Law, Frank is regularly called upon by local and national media for his expert opinion and insight on the legal framework for motoring offences and road traffic laws.