Professor Richard Cuerden, TRL’s director of safety management at TRL, will discuss the evidence linking driver age and collision risk associated with ‘newer’ vehicle design. 

Hosted by Road Safety GB, with support from GEM Motoring Assist, The Road Safety Trust and Waymo, the Mature Drivers Conference will be held at Austin Court, Birmingham, on 28 April 2026.

The conference, titled Safe System Thinking for Mature Road Users, will consider mature road users in the context of the Safe System. Alternatives to, and retiring from, driving will also be covered.

The delegate fees are £195 for Road Safety GB members and £245 for non-members (both plus VAT).

He will argue that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) – such as Intelligent Speed Assistance, Lane Keep Assist and Drowsiness and Attention Detection – along with the shift to touchscreen and voice-activation technology interfaces, and electric vehicle powertrains, have collectively transformed the driving experience over the last decade.

Professor Cuerden’s presentation will examine what we know about the road safety implications of these changes, and whether there is evidence linking driver age and collision risk associated with ‘newer’ vehicle design? This is a complex question, and the lack of exposure data may require a focus on qualitative data and case studies to help us understand more about what is working and what could be improved. Real-world collision examples will be used to highlight areas for further work.

On behalf of the DfT Richard established the UK’s in-depth road collision investigation programme (RAIDS). Using RAIDS, EU data and industry technology cost insights, he led the programme on behalf of the European Commission that developed the 2019 policy updates for the General Safety (vehicle) Regulations, which will prevent thousands of road deaths and help the EU automotive industry to remain competitive.

Click here for more information and /or to register to attend

(Picture: TRL)