Twenty projects aimed at reducing road trauma in Australia will benefit from funding under the Australian Government’s Road Safety Awareness and Enablers Fund.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said key road safety organisations and local governments will share in $4 million in funding over four years.

“Projects being funded through the Road Safety Awareness and Enablers Fund will tackle topics including rural and regional road safety, the impacts of speeding, driveway safety and sharing the road safely with other users,” Mr McCormack said.

“These projects will target a broad range of road users, from young people to heavy vehicle drivers, to help reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries occurring on our roads.

“The Australian Government takes road safety seriously, because one death on our roads is one too many.

“This fund is just one way we are acting to improve road safety and ensure deaths and serious injuries from road crashes in Australia go down over the coming decade.”

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said the Australian Government is supporting proven initiatives like the Driver Reviver program through this funding.

“This funding will help reinvigorate and expand the Driver Reviver program by recruiting more volunteers and promoting the Driver Reviver locations around the country to combat fatigue,” Mr Buchholz said.

“Other projects we are supporting will help deliver targeted educational campaigns to reduce risky behaviour and increase road safety awareness, install life-saving speed signage and collaborate with the community on decreasing road trauma.

“This includes funding for the National Road Safety Week, Fatality Free Friday and Rural Road Safety Month initiatives, which keep staying safe behind the wheel at the front of Australians’ minds.

“The fund is just one of the many ways the Australian Government is investing in road safety to move towards zero fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.”

Road Safety Awareness and Enablers Fund projects:

Organisation Project
Driver Reviver Australia Driver Reviver Revitalisation Project
Reinvigorate and expand the Driver Reviver Program – recruiting more volunteers and promoting the Driver Reviver locations to combat driver fatigue.
Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia Recreational Vehicles (RV) Safety Awareness Project
Deliver targeted safety awareness programs for drivers of recreational vehicles (i.e. caravans, campervans, motorhomes) and how to interact with road users.
Australasian College of Road Safety Australasian Road Safety Conference
Support the Australasian Road Safety Conference over four years and fund scholarships for low- and middle-income delegates from the Asia-Pacific and African regions.
Australasian College of Road Safety International ACRS Outreach Chapter in Asia
Establish an international outreach program for road safety in Asia to apply global best practice to eliminate road trauma.
Traffic Management Association of Australia Your Speed is Our Safety Campaign
Build driver awareness and understanding of the impact of unsafe driving around roadwork sites on road workers, families and the community.
Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group National Road Safety Week sponsorship
Support National Road Safety Week – an initiative from the SARAH Group that aims to highlight the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it.
Australian Road Safety Foundation Fatality Free Friday
Sponsor Fatality Free Friday – a national call to action for at least one day a year free from road fatalities, to raise awareness about road safety.
Australian Road Safety Foundation Rural Road Safety Month Campaign
Generate widespread awareness of risky driver behaviour on rural roads, the impacts of these risks and the need for further education.
Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council Share the Space
Develop a new Share the Space video campaign to raise awareness on sharing paths and streets, with a focus on compassion and understanding for people with disability and the elderly.
Shire of Boddington Courtesy speed signs
Deliver courtesy speed signs throughout the south west of Western Australia to provide immediate feedback to drivers, allowing them to adjust their speed in real time and improving long-term adherence to speed limits.
Georgina Josephine Foundation Keeping Kids Safe Around vehicles
Deliver targeted radio promotions to remind parents, carers and the general public to check around vehicles before getting in to drive, in order to prevent injury or worse to those around them.
Re:act (Hardedge) Resourcing of the Re:act Road Safety Behaviour Change Program
Assist university students to develop communication strategies and creative campaigns to engage their peers and change behaviour on the roads. Selected campaigns will be developed into fully fledged public campaigns.
City of South Perth Community Safe Speed Promise Campaign with SAS
Install electronic speed awareness signs in school zones and other identified hotspots within the City of South Perth to alert motorists to their speed and encourage them to change their behaviour.
City of Kalamunda Connecting Safe People to Safe Streets in Kalamunda
Deliver a comprehensive education and awareness program focusing on road safety for Kalamunda drivers and road users.
Amy Gillett Foundation Sharing Roads Safely – Vulnerable Road User Awareness Training
Deliver a driver training course that aims to increase safe interactions between heavy vehicle drivers and vulnerable road users including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Horse SA Horses, Safety and Riding on Roads
Produce a contemporary education resource for horse riders with a focus on horse behaviours, safety around horses and applying the Australian Road Rules when riding on roads.
Blue Datto Keeping Safe in NSW
Deliver a road safety education campaign to 3,000 vulnerable and high-risk young drivers in NSW, including critical programs in lower socio-economic areas and in regions where young people have a greater risk of being involved with a crash or fatality.
Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation Smooth Riding
Deliver Australian Road Rule education to young people, including indigenous groups, in a friendly skateboarding workshop environment.
Shire of Kojonup Variable Speed Display Signage
Install variable speed display signs for use in the Shire of Kojonup.
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Play it Safe – Off the Field and On the Road
Deliver a series of targeted television commercials using the high profile Cowboys players to deliver road safety messaging.

Read the full media release here

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