RoSPA seeks speakers on emerging methods of delivering road safety

RoSPA has issued a call for papers for its Road Safety Seminar 2013, which will examine the potential of new and emerging methods to deliver cost-effective road safety programmes, including social media, black box monitoring and public health initiatives.

The event, which takes place next March, will be the charity's 78th annual gathering for road safety researchers, practitioners and policymakers. The programme is currently being developed and RoSPA has issued a call for papers, including case studies, from the UK and overseas.

Potential speakers are invited to outline presentations on a range of new and emerging road safety themes.

Suggested topics include the different uses of social media; the unintended consequences of using it and conducting and evaluating social media campaigns. Contributions are also requested on research evidence on the different uses of black box technology and its effectiveness, examples of current and forthcoming schemes (both with a focus on young and at-work drivers) and other developments.

Public health submissions should cover the implications for local road safety delivery in England of the new Health and Wellbeing Boards or influencing the wider determinants, or social factors, of road safety.

The seminar will take place on Thursday, March 7, 2013 at Conference Aston in Birmingham.

Kevin Clinton, RoSPA's head of road safety, said: "With road fatalities showing their first increase since 2003, and with significantly reduced resources available for road safety, RoSPA's 2013 Road Safety Seminar will examine the potential for new and emerging methods to deliver cost-effective road safety programmes.

"As road safety practitioners continue to be asked to do ‘more for less', we will be examining how effective results can still be achieved and looking at new technologies, engagement methods and ways of working."

Abstracts of up to 500 words should be sent to Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety, RoSPA, RoSPA House, 28 Calthorpe Road, Birmingham, B15 1RP, or to kclinton@rospa.com by Friday, October 12 2012.