Project EDWARD is hosting a vital new digital event on 8 July at 2pm, focused on the urgent need to improve the safety of young people in cars.
Titled Protecting Young Drivers, the webinar will bring together leading voices from policing, academia, public health, and driver education to discuss innovative solutions to reduce road casualties involving young drivers and their passengers.
Chaired by Philip Seccombe (Warwickshire PCC) and Joy Allen (Durham PCC), who serve as roads policing leads for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), the event features a distinguished panel including: Dr Ian Greenwood, international road safety consultant; Dr Rob Török, research fellow in traffic safety; Terry Cook, specialist in youth driving behaviour; Rebecca Morris, road risk campaigner.
There will also be expert contributions from Chief Constable Jo Shiner, Dan Quin (National Fire Chiefs Council), Dr Sarah Jones (Public Health Wales), Dr Shaun Helman (TRL), Dr Elizabeth Box (RAC Foundation), Edmund King OBE (AA), Ruth Purdie OBE (The Road Safety Trust), and Professor Lindel Bates (Griffith University, Australia).
A key focus will be on lessons from Young Drivers of Canada, whose comprehensive driver education programme has led to a 42% reduction in crashes among 20–24-year-olds. With over 1.3 million graduates, the organisation’s emphasis on defensive driving and hazard recognition has had measurable results.
Project EDWARD producer James Luckhurst will lead the exploration of how insurance incentives in Canada have supported education uptake and how similar strategies could be adopted in the UK.
This is a key opportunity for ADIs, PDIs, road safety professionals, and policy influencers to engage with international best practice and contribute to the discussion on improving outcomes for young drivers across the UK.
