Deirdre O’Reilly has recently joined Highways England to lead a team to deliver social research and behavioural change with a particular focus on road safety.
She is the former head of social and behavioural research at the Department for Transport and has over 20 years’ experience of delivering road safety and transport research and evidence to inform policy and practise in central government.
Her professional interests include understanding the implications of changing lifestyles and social trends on transport, links with health and safety including road safety and injury prevention, sustainability, accessibility and the implications of new technologies on mobility and accessibility.
She is particularly interested in people-centred approaches – using behavioural insights and the latest behaviour change techniques to support the delivery of safe, secure and sustainable transport systems.
Presentation: Paving the way: putting behaviour change at the heart of a safe system
Building on the think piece ‘Paving the way’ she will look at behaviour change in road safety from a range of perspectives; reflecting on the dynamic interactions between individuals and groups as well as the importance of social, cultural and physical contexts.