Minimizing the number of fatalities and injuries in traffic is not just a key concern for the police and the Public Prosecution Service (OM); countless other parties are involved as well. Jeroen van Leeuwen, head of Policy and Strategy at Parket CVOM, believes that DesignLab managed to bring all these parties together and help them reach new insights.
Since the number of (fatal) casualties in traffic has been increasing again since 2015, Van Leeuwen and his colleagues of the Parket Centrale Verwerking (CVOM) have been trying to end this trend in whatever way they can. “Road safety is about more than just upholding the law,” Van Leeuwen states. “We are collaborating with such partners as municipal governments, manufacturers and organisations developing new and safer technologies.”
Working together
Van Leeuwen knows that it can be quite a challenge to get all these different people – public officials, technicians, scientists, policy makers – working together as one. He therefore called in the help of DesignLab. “They managed to bring everyone together in a clarifying, fun and creative manner,” Van Leeuwen says. “The lab bridged the gap between all these different parties.”
‘DesignLab got people to shift their focus to other matters.’
Eventually, all these parties spent a day in DesignLab. Van Leeuwen says that people were immediately pulled out of their comfort zone. ‘DesignLab managed to put people in a different state of mind. With their approach and by asking the right questions, they got people to shift their focus to other matters.’
Bike safety
An example? ‘We normally focus mostly on motor vehicles,’ Van Leeuwen explains. ‘DesignLab brought up bike safety, however, partly because of the rising popularity of speed bikes that can reach ever-higher speeds. It might sound trivial, but approaching the theme from a new angle really helped to open our eyes. It was not long before we managed to come up with fresh ideas.’
‘Public officials, technicians, policy makers… it is quite a challenge to get everyone working together.’
Second session
Would he recommend a collaboration with DesignLab to other external parties? ‘Absolutely,’ Van Leeuwen says with conviction. ‘I believe their methods are especially effective on groups.’
He would love to continue the collaboration himself as well. ‘Indeed, the second session will take place soon.’
