Edmund King OBE - AA President

Edmund King OBE is president of The AA and one of the UK’s most recognised and respected motoring, road safety and transport experts.

Since joining The AA in January 2008, Edmund has led the organisation’s public affairs, public relations and corporate affairs activity, acting as the primary spokesperson for The AA across national media, government policy and industry campaigns. He also co-ordinates national campaigns and leads crisis management activity on behalf of the organisation.

With decades of experience in transport policy, consumer motoring issues and road safety campaigning, Edmund is widely regarded as an authority on road infrastructure, electric vehicles, fuel prices, government transport policy, vehicle breakdown, motor insurance, learning to drive and used cars.

In 2020, Edmund was inducted into PRWeek's Hall of Fame in recognition of his influence and achievements in communications. The industry publication praised him as "one of the great professional communicators of his generation and a pre-eminent campaigner."

Edmund is passionate about improving road safety, protecting drivers’ interests and helping motorists navigate rapidly changing transport and mobility issues. He particularly enjoys combining campaigning, communications and policy work to create meaningful change for drivers and road users across the UK.

A trusted voice for UK drivers

As AA president, Edmund works closely with teams across public affairs, PR, policy, research, breakdown operations, insurance, driving services and customer experience to ensure The AA remains a trusted voice for UK drivers. His work helps shape public understanding of motoring issues while influencing government policy and improving outcomes for drivers.

Edmund regularly represents the interests of motorists through media appearances, industry engagement and direct campaigning on key transport and road safety issues.

He is also:

• Director and trustee of The AA Charitable Trust for Road Safety and the Environment
• Director of AA Drivetech
 Visiting Professor of Transport at Newcastle University
• Adviser to BBC Children in Need

Media experience

Edmund is one of the UK’s most frequently quoted motoring commentators and regularly appears across national television, radio and print media, including:

• BBC Radio 4 Today
• BBC Breakfast
• BBC 5 Live
• Sky News
• Times Radio

He is also regularly quoted in publications including:

• The Times
• Daily Mail
• The Telegraph
• Evening Standard
• The Independent
• The Guardian

His specialist areas include:

• Road safety
• Smart motorways
• Electric vehicles (EVs)
• Fuel prices and taxation
• Motor insurance
• Vehicle breakdown and recovery
• Road infrastructure
• Driving and learner driver issues
• Used car market trends

Campaigns and notable work

Throughout his career, Edmund has led and supported several nationally recognised road safety and motoring campaigns. He played a key role in the AA’s highly influential smart motorway safety campaign, which contributed to national debate and policy scrutiny surrounding motorway safety in the UK. The campaign received both PRWeek Public Affairs Campaign of the Year and PRCA Best Automotive Campaign awards.

Edmund also worked alongside the BBC Panorama documentary Britain’s Killer Motorways, broadcast in 2020, serving as a leading commentator on the risks faced by stranded drivers on smart motorways. In addition, he was executive producer and appeared in the road safety film Cadence, aimed at deterring mobile phone use while driving.

Current campaigns include working with the Pothole Partnership, which he set up with British Cycling, JCB and National Motorcyclists Council, to work for a reduction in potholes and more dependence on technology to facilitate more permanent road repairs. Several meetings have been held with government Ministers and the campaign has generated extensive media coverage.

He is also leading a campaign with The AA Charitable Trust on seatbelt safety which has included support from football legend, Ian Wright, and Basingstoke FC.

Global automotive expertise

Edmund sits on the Euro Board of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) which represents 80m motorists from around the world and often attends important vehicle technology, safety, and environmental meetings in Brussels. He was also elected to the FIA World Council for Mobility and Tourism and is a member of the FIA Foundation.

Awards and recognition

Edmund has received numerous awards and honours for his contribution to road safety, communications and motoring policy. His achievements include:

• Awarded an OBE in 2016 by HRH Prince William for services to road safety
• Inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame in 2020
• Named PRWeek PR Professional of the Year in 2000
• Recipient of the Special Contribution to Motoring Award from the Guild of Motoring Writers in 2021
• Winner of a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award through the AA Trust
• Runner-up in the Wolfson Economics Prize for research into road pricing and “Road Miles”