On 9 June, Dr Clare Mutzenich chaired a conference of industry experts discussing ISO 39001, an international standard focused on road traffic safety management systems. The standard provides guidelines for organisations to improve traffic safety and reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on the roads. Dr Mutzenich, a human factors specialist, brought her unique perspective on road safety and emerging transport to the discussion, particularly engaging with organisational responsibility, driving for work, safe road users, and how standards can support safer systems in practice.
The panel discussed the current revision of ISO 39001and centred on five key themes:
- What ISO 39001 does now and why the revision matters
- How the standard aligns with Safe System thinking and organisational responsibility
- Driving for work, including the practical risks organisations need to manage
- New technologies and data-led safety management, and how they change responsibilities
- Where ISO 39001 should go next so that it remains useful, practical and relevant
The experts specifically focused on driving for work and how new technologies, including telematics, dashcams, driver monitoring, ADAS, connected vehicle data, and AI-enabled fleet tools, are changing how organisations understand and manage road risk. Overall, the panel explored how ISO 39001 can adapt to this changing environment while keeping people, responsibility and safety at the centre.
Speakers at the conference were Dave Conway, IMS and Road Safety Adviser, who brought a practical perspective on how ISO 39001 works within organisations and where the standard needs to go next; Dr Lisa Dorn from Cranfield University, who offered expertise in driver behaviour, human factors and how organisations can better understand the realities of driving for work; and Vincent Hearn from Arriva Bus, who brought a passenger transport perspective, including driver safety, fleet operations, and the use of safety data in a live service environment.
Dr Clare Mutzenich’s research focuses on human factors, behavioural science, inclusion, and safety in emerging transport systems, including automated mobility, driver behaviour, public trust and organisational responsibility. She translates academic, industry and government evidence into practical guidance for safer, more inclusive transport systems.
Speaking at the conference, Dr Mutzenich said:
‘ISO 39001 is an important mechanism for turning Safe System thinking into organisational practice. As the standard is revised, there is a real opportunity to ask how employers, fleet operators, public transport providers and technology developers can take clearer responsibility for the road safety risks they create or influence. This is especially important as driving for work, data-led fleet management and new vehicle technologies continue to evolve.’
More information about the road safety webinar can be found at BSI’s Road Safety Conference: Delivering on the UK Road Safety Strategy.