Helping proof beat perception: Winning trust with data

We’ve seen it before, when the success and failure of a big investment is judged more by public perception than by what the data actually proves, so today on Highways Voices, we look at how to communicate the data, and how to deliver defensible, effective, and publicly trusted solutions, by hearing from someone who does exactly that every day.

Our guest is one of the leading experts in the US in delivering data-driven solutions, Brett Ferrin of Traffic Logix - a man who’s done everything from asphalt sales to barricades and signs and now enforcement and traffic calming solutions, delivering them even when emotion is louder than statistics.

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In today's podcast he talks about the very real hesitation agencies have about adopting new tools because of litigation risk, policy lag, and “one-size-doesn’t-fit-all” market differences.

You'll hear a practical framework for data-led traffic calming choices, from baseline measurement to awareness tools, physical interventions, and enforcement options, with clear logic for when each step makes sense. He gives strategies to bridge the gap between data and public trust, including how to validate “ground truth” across multiple data sources and communicate safety reality when perception says otherwise, and adds real-world guidance on de-risking innovation and scaling across regions, covering litigation fears, policy variability, and why cultural/market context determines whether the same technology succeeds or fails in a new state or country.

Well worth 25 minutes of anyone's time to have a listen, and to learn some new ideas.

Highways Voices is brought to you with our partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ADEPT and ITS UK.