In our latest industry interview, we spoke to Dorian Isaacson, CEO at Rhevia, an end-to-end systems integrator, about how local authorities are approaching the delivery of the UK Road Safety Strategy, and the role that more timely, contextual insight can play in supporting local decision-making.
Q. How do you interpret the key priorities of the UK Road Safety Strategy from a local delivery perspective?
A. From a local authority perspective, the Road Safety Strategy reflects a shift that many local authorities are already feeling. Expectations are rising, and decisions need to be backed by clear evidence. It recognises that safety isn’t only about responding after something goes wrong, but about understanding risk earlier, how people actually move, where pressure builds up, and why certain locations feel unsafe even if serious incidents haven’t yet occurred.
For local authorities, the challenge is turning that national ambition into practical, local action, in a way that can be explained clearly to residents and elected members.
Q. Why is rapid, contextual insight important for local authorities working towards those goals?
A. One of the biggest gaps local authorities face is timing. Traditional data is valuable, but it often arrives too late or only tells part of the story.
Rapid insight helps fill that gap by showing what is happening on the ground right now, how pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles are interacting, and how conditions change through the day or week.
That kind of visibility allows local authorities to act earlier, with more confidence, and to focus attention where it will make the biggest difference, rather than waiting for problems to escalate.
Q. What challenges do local authorities face with traditional data, and how do more rapid insights help?
A. Most local authorities already have data, but it’s often historical, fragmented, or focused on incidents rather than everyday behaviour. This can make it difficult to respond when residents say a place feels unsafe, but the data doesn’t yet show a clear pattern.
Rapid insights don’t replace existing data, they add context. They help local authorities see how people are using a space, where informal behaviour emerges, and where small design or operational changes could reduce risk before serious incidents occur.
Q. Can you share an example of how this type of insight has informed decisions?
A. In several cases, short-term monitoring has helped local authorities understand locations where concern existed, but evidence was unclear.
By observing how people accessed crossings, bus stops or junctions, including how they crossed roads or cycle lanes, local authorities were able to move the conversation from opinion to evidence. That made it easier to prioritise action, focus interventions more precisely, and explain decisions clearly to stakeholders.
Q. Looking ahead, what will local authorities need to deliver the Strategy by 2030?
A. Looking ahead, local authorities will need ways to gather evidence more quickly, prioritise more confidently, and show progress over time.
There is growing pressure not just to act, but to demonstrate why decisions were made and what has changed as a result.
Tools that support faster learning and clearer communication will play an important role in helping local authorities turn strategy into safer, more accessible streets.
You can find out more about Rhevia, by visiting the website.