Today on Highways the legendary TV technology journalist Michael Rodd shares memories of his time on flagship BBC TV show Tomorrow's World, as he remembers the early technology innovations that paved the way for what we take for granted in the 2020s.

This episode dives into the fascinating evolution of technology in transport technology and highways, from a quirky cassette-based navigation solution to prototypes in driverless cars, and how he made the first ever televised mobile phone call.

For decision-makers in the highways industry, it offers a rare opportunity to understand how early innovations shaped the solutions we rely on today.

In today's programme, you'll discover how a 1971 cassette-based navigation system laid the groundwork for modern GPS technology, gain insights into the challenges and breakthroughs in developing transformative transport technologies like maglev systems and driverless cars and learn valuable lessons from the Concorde story about aligning technological innovation with real-world business needs.

Hit play now to uncover the untold stories behind the technologies revolutionising the highway and travel industries—stories that could inspire your next big decision. 

Merry Christmas from Highways Voices.

A little extra podcast for you today. After the popularity of the recent bloopers podcast showcasing when things go wrong, we thought we'd delve into the archives of the mistakes from our first year of publishing weekly shows.

We get the bloke who turns into a dalek, plus a lot of Paul and Adrian just being incapable of speaking properly.

Enjoy, and catch you again in 2025!

What if you could dramatically improve travel experiences and reduce traffic issues without spending billions on new infrastructure?

In this episode of Highways Voices, we revisit a chat with behavioural scientist Rory Sutherland, author of the book Transport for Humans - Are We Nearly There Yet, exploring how psychology and better information, and not just engineering, can solve key challenges in highways and travel.

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If you're a decision-maker in transport, this discussion offers a fresh perspective on solving problems efficiently and cost-effectively.

• Discover why improving perceptions of travel time can reduce frustration and improve satisfaction.
• Learn how small, inexpensive changes like better signage or reframing can influence behaviour and optimise existing infrastructure.
• Gain insights into how psychology can maximise the use of current networks to reduce congestion and improve flow.

Don’t miss this opportunity to rethink travel and highways solutions. Hit play now and uncover practical strategies that can transform your approach.

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Today on Highways Voices you get to hear some of the bits we edited out of our podcasts through the year.

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You'll hear when things don't quite go right - from strange noises to coughing, mispronunciations to brain fades.

And a man turns into a dalek.

PLEASE NOTE, THERE IS SOME OFF-MIC SWEARING ON THIS PODCAST SO IT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR THE OFFICE OR YOUNG EARS.

Enjoy 15 minutes of bloopers proving that it's best that podcasts are edited before publication!

Happy Christmas.

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Today on Highways Voices you will discover why self-enforcement plays a vital role in the battle for better road safety.

We hear from the founder of Alcosense, Hunter Abbott, who explains why, even when you’re under the alcohol limit, if you’ve had any drink at all you’re many times more likely to be in a crash.

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Hunter explains why he designed the breathalyser solution, how it changes driver behaviour, and the need for better education on morning-after drink-driving risks. Plus you’ll want to share with your HR team why if you employ people who have to socialise for work, you probably have an obligation to have them use breathalysers for their, and other road users’ safety.

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In this episode of Highways Voices we hear from Sean Rooney, Head of Service in Highways Maintenance at Oxfordshire County Council and President of the Local Government Technical Advisers Group.

You will discover what he is doing during his year in the post, and why a year might not be long enough, plus hear about opportunities from the Innovation Fund, his ideas on strengthening collaboration with other organisations and creating a directory of research projects.

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Highways News reporter Kevin Borras chats to Sean, and they discuuss duplication and the importance of intelligent technology use with practical applications over blind adoption.

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In this episode of Highways Voices you will discover a lot about the most influential Intelligent Transport industry associations in Europe, how their working together helps the industry, about a legacy from a major international congress, connected ITS installations and why the UK is leading the way in supporting the next generation of industry professionals.

This special Highways Voices comes from Bern in Switzerland and the first ever ITS Network of National Association Awards, celebrating excellence among the people who support our industry across the continent. The awards were sponsored by The Traffic Group, Ohmio, IDASO, Neology and SWARCO.

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The ITS Nationals network remit includes developing and sharing best practice in running ITS National Associations, connecting the fee-paying members of ITS National Associations to each other, the sharing of news and research to better inform members of ITS National Associations, sharing case studies and promotional materials to further the implementation of ITS and supporting members of the ITS National Associations to attend National, European and Global ITS Congresses, and to support ERTICO and other bodies with the delivery of them. These awards celebrate their successes, and help knowledge share about what works so more member organisations in each country can benefit.

You'll hear from the winners, sponsors, the host and lead judge - all in half an hour!

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The CEO of the European Intelligent Transport Systems organisation ERTICO, Joost Vantomme is our guest on Highways Voices this week, sharing his vast knowledge with you about standardisation, interoperability and living outside silos.

He chats with host Paul Hutton about how ERTICO’s ITS European and World Congresses promote thought leadership and innovation around things like automation, clean mobility, urban mobility, and new technologies like Air Mobility and generative AI.

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Mr Vantomme discusses the challenges around data sharing, trust, and regulatory alignment across regions, and he describes his enthusiasm for the the 2027 World Congress, which comes to the UK at Birmingham’s NEC and gives the country the chance to showcase its innovation around AI and multi-modal transport.

On top of all this, you’ll get Adrian Tatum’s pick of Highways News stories, some updates from our podcast partners and, you’ll find out why Acusensus and Dr Suzy Charman jointly win “Adrian’s Accolade”.

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Take a trip around a British traffic technology manufacturing plant in today’s Highways Voices and learn about the value of a highly ordered site, workforce flexibility and traceability.

Paul Hutton heads to AGD Systems and is given a guided tour of the facility by AGD Director Ian Hind who explains how the company has grown thanks to a sense of teamwork and through workforce flexibility.

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You’ll also get ideas for how you could improve operations and pick up some tips on sustainability.

There’s also a discussion of the legacy of Pete Hutchinson, the company’s visionary Managing Director who passed away in May.

On top of all this, you’ll get a pick of Highways News stories, some updates from our podcast partners and, of course, we tip our hat to someone or some people doing amazing things in our industry in “Adrian’s Accolade” (with Paul this week).

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This week on Highways Voices we hear from a self-made millionaire who has invested in, and it becomes clear as he talks, truly believes in a leading SME in our industry, giving you an insight into what someone looks for when choosing to invest their money.

Our guest Sir John Madejski made his money with Auto Trader magazine and owned Reading Football Club, twice taking them to the Premier League. He also continues to own the highways and transport solutions provider Clearview Intelligence.

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In today's podcast we sit down with Sir John to find out what made him choose Clearview among the hundreds of opportunities he was offered, why he believes in the company and has kept it after offloading so many others.

You'll hear a fascinating insight into the mind of the millionaire, and maybe get some ideas on how to attract, and keep, investment as Clearview has done so successfully.

You'll of course also hear your Highways Voices regulars, with Adrian Tatum's top stories, the latest from our podcast partners and who we tip our hat to for doing amazing things in our industry in "Adrian's Accolade".

Don't forget to sign up to our daily email to get all our news into your inbox, and you can also find our stories on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).