National Road Safety Conference

Nicola Wass presenting at National Road Safety Conference, 2024

Lelde Krumina co-facilitates interactive workshop delving into the common pitfalls in road safety intervention design. 

Last week the SoMoCo team presented at the Road Safety GB National Road Safety Conference.

Two recent campaigns were highlighted, showcasing how principles like nudges and motivational framing are enhancing safety in real-world contexts.

The first presentation explored the intersection of behavioural science and road safety, focusing on an innovative campaign to increase seatbelt use among South Asian teenagers living in the West Midlands. Using applied behavioural science SoMoCo discovered what was driving a 38% non-wearing rate (the national rate sits at around 6%). By using insights we gained from a behavioural deep dive, our team at SoMoCo were able to design a behavioural change campaign that achieved an 82% increase in seatbelt usage.  

CEO Nicola Wass also discussed the influence of context and place sensitivity in shaping human choice and behaviour. By understanding the influence of context on pedestrian crossing behaviours on Liverpool high streets, associated with high adult pedestrian casualty rates,  SoMoCo designed a nudge based intervention that achieved a 14% increase in use of pedestrian crossings. At the outset of this commission Liverpool had the second highest adult pedestrian casualty rate in the UK. 

Behavioural Scientist Lelde Krumina co-facilitated an interactive workshop titled Never Have I Ever, with Tanya Fosdick (Agilysis), which delved into common pitfalls in road safety intervention design. The session aimed to challenge entrenched practices and highlight key strategies for improving outcomes.

Both initiatives underscore the power of evidence-based behavioural insights to tackle pressing societal challenges, demonstrating how tailored nudges can achieve measurable impact.

Watch SoMoCo CEO Nicola Wass speaking about context and our choices in the real world.