Heather Ward is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London (UCL) and is also an independent consultant.

Heather has worked in road safety research at UCL for the EU, National and Local Governments, the OECD, UK charities and Trusts, and research organisations in Australia.

Heather has also worked in the international and national health area in relation to inequalities especially in injury occurrence and prevention. She chaired a NICE (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence) Group which published Guidance on Strategies to Prevent Unintentional Injuries among under 15s.

Her key experience is in evaluation of road engineering schemes; speed management; vulnerable road user safety; inequalities, and in understanding and improving data quality for all injuries but especially those relating to road casualties.

Presentation: What do we really know about the van fleet and its drivers?
This presentation will summarise a report currently being prepared by Heather Ward and Nicola Christie (both UCL) and Bruce Walton (Agilysis), which looks at van journey purpose and mileage, with regards to fleet size, age, and ownership.

The report will also examine what other vehicles and road users are involved in collisions with vans and resultant injuries to van drivers.

The presentation will also looking at the 'gig economy’, specifically with regard to van drivers involved in parcel deliveries.