Driving is a Risky Business - Royal Statistical Society

Road safety is vital for everyone. Whether we drive or cycle, catch the bus or walk, we are all affected by driving – and the policies surrounding it. How do we therefore decide whether people with long-term medical conditions should be offered driving licenses? Dr Laura Bonnett, a medical statistician at the University of Liverpool and the Royal Statistical Society’s William Guy lecturer for 2020, will seek to answer this question for people who have had epileptic seizures.

It is unfair to say that people with seizures should not be allowed to drive at all, but most people would probably agree that a person who has had one seizure might be at higher risk of having another – possibly while driving. Everyone needs to be protected. So how long should we prevent a person who has had a seizure from driving?

We will debate what they acceptable level of risk of an accident occurring in the first year after passing a driving test is and whether this level of risk should also apply to people with underlying medical conditions such as epilepsy.

Through exploring the statistical modelling required to calculate the risk of an accident and the decision making processes the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency must undertake we will discover the challenges that regulators, clinicians, people with epilepsy, and the general public face as a result of the decisions made.

Suitable for teachers and S4 to S6 students.

This event will be hosted on Teams and has been organised by the Royal Statistical Society Highlands Local Group.

Booking now open! Get your place below