The University of Sheffield, in partnership with the University of Greenwich, has received £195,000 funding from The Road Safety Trust to promote Intelligent Speed Assistance as a technological solution that can reduce speed-related road traffic collisions.

They say speeding is common on UK roads and increases both the chances of crash involvement and the severity of crashes suffered. Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) is an in-car technology that helps drivers remain within the speed limit. It is likely to become a common feature in UK vehicles over the next 10 years and could reduce serious road traffic crashes by up to 30%. This project aims to understand the context of ISA introduction and to develop ways to enhance ISA uptake and usage.

Professor Richard Rowe at the University of Sheffield said: “Realising ISA’s potential safety benefits depends on how it is adopted by drivers. We will be investigating how ISA can be most effectively introduced to save the most lives.”

Sally Lines, Chief Executive of The Road Safety Trust said: “We really welcome the project from the University of Sheffield in its partnership with the University of Greenwich, as it has a clear link to how technology can be used to improve road safety and in turn help us work towards our vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on UK roads.” 

The Road Safety Trust is the largest independent road safety grant-giver in the UK and funds vital research and practical interventions committed to reducing the number of people killed or injured on UK roads. Since it was established in 2014, The Road Safety Trust has awarded grants worth £3.9m to 56 different projects.

It is dedicated to achieving zero deaths and serious injuries on UK roads, funded over £1million for technology-focussed road safety projects through its main theme grants in 2021. 

(Picture – Yay Images)