- Road Safety Commission inks five-year $5 million agreement with UWA
- Research to focus on driver behaviour change
- Research projects to target young novice drivers
The Cook Government has recently signed off on a five-year $5 million investment in road safety research.
Making roads safer is a complex task. It requires the community to engage in better driver behaviour and an improved culture of road safety, supported by improved road infrastructure and effective enforcement. To achieve a step change in road safety, innovative policy and programs backed up by research and evidence are required.
This is why the Road Safety Commission's funding of The University of Western Australia's (UWA) Centre for Road Safety Research via the Road Trauma Trust Account is so important.
In 2019, UWA successfully tendered for the establishment of the Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research (WACRSR). The contract awarded was for an initial term of five years with a five-year extension option.
The centre is currently led by internationally recognised road safety researcher Professor Teresa Senserrick, who was appointed centre director in 2023.
Under the new funding agreement, the centre will generally focus on behaviour change, including understanding road user behaviours and attitudes, and the cultural factors that might influence risky driving/riding behaviours.
Specific research projects are being scoped but will include a focus on young drivers in WA.
As stated by Road Safety Minister David Michael:
"This Government is committed to research-based road safety policy. I have repeatedly said that all new initiatives must be tested through the lens of evidence, research, enforceability and common sense.
"This partnership with UWA is particularly important because it brings local research to bear on local problems.
"I am particularly supportive of the research focus being on behaviour change because we cannot simply engineer our way out of the problem of road trauma. We must find ways to bring drivers and riders with us on both a community and personal level.
"This announcement adds to a suite of road safety initiatives that have followed the recent Road Safety Roundtable, including new P-plate rules, more funding for regional roads, new booze buses, and more police presence on our roads.
"It is important to note that Professor Senserrick from WACRSR played an important role in the Roundtable deliberations."
