Three ACRS members and road safety professionals and practitioners were recognised for their research, community engagement, and a commitment for change with a global focus at the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) Award Ceremony, held in at the 2023 Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC 2023) in Cairns (QLD, Australia) last night.
Senator the Honourable Carol Brown, the Australian Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, addressed the audience, acknowledging the exceptional work by road safety professionals and practitioners who continue to strive for evidence-based road safety research, effective community engagement, and driving change at both local and global levels.
“Road safety is a matter that affects all Australians, each and every day,” Assistant Minister Brown said.
“I thank you all for your contributions to road safety. I understand that a career in road safety is complex, challenging, and at times, confronting.”
“Road Safety is a shared responsibility, and I am confident that together we can reach our target of Vision Zero by 2050,” Senator Brown concluded.
Three unique ACRS Awards were presented during the ceremony by Senator Brown, supported by Professor Ann Williamson, President of the ACRS
ACRS Young Leader Oration Award Winner – Dr Verity Truelove
The Australasian College of Road Safety Young Leader Oration Award recognises inspiring work and potential for future leadership in the field of road safety. The 2023 ACRS Young Leader Oration Award, sponsored by Transurban, was presented to Dr Verity Truelove in recognition of her active involvement in research, community engagement and as an early career mentor for others working in road safety.
Dr Truelove is senior research fellow at the Road Safety Research Collaboration, a strategic partnership between the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) and the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). She is actively involved in research projects that address road rule compliance and behaviour change, with a focus on distracted driving, speeding and impaired driving. She has led the development of a formalised mentorship program for ACRS members and was invited to start the ACRS Early Career Network (ECN) for ACRS members across Australasia.
ACRS Women in Road Safety Award Winner – Jessica Truong
The ACRS Women in Road Safety Award recognises the valuable role that women play in reducing road trauma. The award, sponsored by Austroads, was presented to Jessica Truong in honour of her commitment to improving road safety using technical knowledge, policy, strategy, and communication to deliver safer outcomes for all road users globally.
Ms Truong is the Secretary General at the Towards Zero Foundation based in London, which includes the Global New Car Assessment Program (Global NCAP). This role has allowed her to use her exceptional technical road safety knowledge, and her skills with policy, strategy, and communications to help advance the road safety journey of low-and-middle income countries.
She was a leader in the Towards Zero Foundation team which led the #50by30 campaign, one of the central advocacy collaborations in the lead up to the United Nations Resolution on Improving Global Road Safety in 2020, and led global projects to put road safety on the Commonwealth agenda which has resulted in active involvement in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
ACRS Fellowship Award Winner – Martin Small
The prestigious Australasian College of Road Safety Fellowship Award is presented in recognition of exemplary contribution being made by an individual ACRS member to road safety. The 2023 ACRS Fellowship Award was presented to Mr Martin Small in honour of his significant contribution to road safety through active leadership, management, and advocacy at the national and international level.
Mr Small has spent his career developing and providing policy and technical advice to improve road safety performance outcomes for the elimination of death and serious injury on road networks in Australia, New Zealand and developing nations in Africa, the Middle East, and in South-East Asia. He was the former President of the ACRS between 2019 – 2022 and remains on the ACRS Executive Council as an elected representative today, and since 2019 has been a non-executive Director of the RAA in South Australia (both voluntary positions).