Road Safety Fund Grants

Safe Roads: educate, engage, comply

Australian Multicultural Action Network

$17,000

This project seeks to reduce accidents and cultivate responsible driving habits in young and migrant drivers from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in the ACT region. The project will use a combination of education, engagement and compliance strategies to create safer roads for all road users.

Investigating cognitive predictors of crash risk in provisional drivers

Australian National University

$34,705

In the ACT, drivers with a provisional license are disproportionately represented in crashes, especially fatality crashes. The goal of this project is to investigate multiple potential cognitive predictors of crash risk in provisional drivers. The cognitive predictors tested include those selected from a functional understanding of the demands of driving as well as measures that have already been found to predict crash risk in more experienced drivers. It is anticipated that this project will identify cognitive factors that will then lead to novel training programs to improve road safety outcomes for provisional drivers.

Ageing driver education and assessment

Capital Road Safety Education

$36,818.18

This project will assess and update ageing drivers’ skills and knowledge, including knowledge of the road rules, to help them to be safe drivers and prepare to transition to life without a licence.

Towards Five-Star Road Users

Australasian College of Road Safety

$46,000

The utility of vehicle (e.g. ANCAP) and road infrastructure (e.g. IRAP) safety ratings have been acknowledged. The goal of this project is to investigate and develop a road user assessment program (RUAP).

Roundabout or signal intersection? Assessment and improvement of intersection safety in the ACT

Griffith University

$46,542

This project aims to investigate the safety performance of different types of intersections using crash data of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Using a well-established extended crash dataset, a comparative study will be conducted between roundabouts and non-signal intersections on crash number, type, and severity. Scenario-based simulation will be conducted to test diverse measures to reduce safety risk at different types of intersections.

Impact of prescription drugs on driving behaviour in the ACT

Swinburne University of Technology

$38,242.85

This project will assess the scope, source, and quality of information provided to or sought by Canberran drivers who are currently prescribed monitored medicines. It will explore how differences in the detail and origin of health advice may influence drivers’ perceptions and self-regulating behaviours regarding driving while medicated. A total of 2,000 ACT drivers will be recruited to complete a survey. Collected data will help identify gaps in knowledge around the potential risks of driving following medication use to develop and distribute targeted information campaigns.

Thriving without driving: A practical resource toolkit to support retirement from driving in the ACT

Australian Catholic University

$49,658

Retiring from driving can negatively impact emotional, social, and physical wellbeing. This project will conduct workshops to understand the needs of ACT residents retiring from driving, then create a toolkit for them that includes practical resources, psycho-social education, and links to established support services that are available in the ACT.

Our roads, our safety, our community

Community Broadcasting Association of Australia

$39,060

This project will develop a series of 12 Community Service Announcements (CSAs) to address distracted, dangerous and impaired driving. These narrative-style CSAs will be co-designed with a diverse group of ACT road users, drawing on their personal experiences and perceptions. They will highlight the dangers of these driving behaviours and promote a safer driving culture. A three-month campaign will reach extensive and targeted audiences across the ACT through regular radio broadcasting of the CSAs.

Being a Wise Road User – Wisdom Street Garran

Saints Peter and Paul Primary School, Garran

$5,000

Saints Peter and Paul Primary School is located in a precinct which provides education and care to primary school students, students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities and elderly residents. Year Five and Six students will design and produce a series of posters and short videos which will form a road safety campaign to educate the school community, people who access the precinct and the wider population about the importance of correctly using the road system in the area to ensure the safety of all. Students of Malkara and residents of the aged care facilities in the precinct will be invited to be collaborate in the design and production of these resources.

The hidden cost of road trauma

RADD Australia

$40,000

This project will produce a six case studies and a 60-minute ACT-specific television documentary highlighting stories of four local people who each survived a serious road crash but now live with lifelong injuries. The documentary will be broadcast on local television and use these stories to highlight the consequences of road trauma; and highlight the work being done by ACT organisations committed to reducing deaths and serious injuries. From the documentary, a suite of visual assets will also be created for use in schools and driver education programs across the ACT, enabling broad community outreach and stakeholder engagement around safe road user behaviour.

The Motor Accident Injuries Commission are also contributing funding for this project.

Motorcycle Riders Safety Education

Riders Lane

$23,900

This project aims to reduce crashes involving motorcycle riders. It will provide both knowledge and skills-based road safety education to new riders akin to that provided to motor vehicle learner drivers. Rider education sessions will be delivered in the ACT by an Australian Driver Trainers Association licensed motorcycle rider trainer. Sessions will include routine motorcycle maintenance to ensure riders maintain their motorcycle in accordance with safe operational requirements.

Motorcycle Safety Forum (PDF 1.2 MB)

Motorcycle Riders Association ACT

$10,000

The motorcycle safety forum will consist of a motorcycle handling demonstration followed by a forum with presentations and discussions on road safety policy, policing and safety equipment.

Reversing the cycle of distraction: a campaign awareness study

University of Canberra

$28,850

This project will explore the major types of distraction for ACT drivers (i.e., auditory, visual, physical, and cognitive), the level of impact of each type of distraction, who is affected most by each type of distraction and the changes occurring in spatial/temporal distance perception while driving distracted.

School crossing supervisor training video (PDF 2.2 MB)

School Crossings Australia

$20,000

This project produced a training video for new school crossing supervisors in the ACT to compliment the current on road and theory training.

• Watch the video trailer.
• Watch the video.

Safe and unsafe e-scooter behaviours in the ACT (PDF 1.5 MB)

University of Canberra

$47,364

This project will investigate safe and unsafe e-scooter behaviours in the ACT via observation and will identify strategies to promote safe riding.

Hungover in the ACT: a survey on public attitudes and behaviours related to driving with an alcohol hangover (PDF 6.5 MB)

Swinburne University of Technology

$25,938.25

This survey aims to gauge the prevalence of hangover-impaired driving and evaluate changes in driving behaviour in a representative sample of ACT drivers of all ages. The findings will provide insights for promoting safer drinking and driving habits.

Delivering 'Health in Gear' in the ACT (PDF 302.0 KB)

OzHelp Foundation

$27,500

The Health in Gear program is designed to improve the physical and mental health of truck drivers in the ACT OzHelp will host five single day ACT-based roadside health and wellbeing screens for truck drivers, called "Truckie Tune Ups". The tune ups will be delivered by a Wellbeing Support Officer and qualified Nurse. Truck drivers and their families will also be able to access counselling, ongoing wellbeing support 24/7 by phone, and targeted health and wellbeing resources online.

Multicultural Road Safety Workshops

Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services Australia

$59,476

This project will provide workshops, digital presentations, and written information in five languages to people from new and emerging refugee and migrant communities living in ACT, to enable them to use our roads safely.

Online tools to support road safety practitioners with older driver safety

University of New South Wales

$49,953

To support older drivers to remain safe on our roads and maintain independence, road safety practitioners need accessible, evidence-based tools to inform fitness to drive decisions. This project will use previously developed and validated tools, protocols, and programs to create and evaluate a single online resource for clinicians.

Kings Highway Road Safety Partnership: National Road Safety Week 2024 focus on Heavy Vehicles (PDF 9.3 MB)

Eurobodalla Shire Council

$12,929.27

This project will develop banners aimed at reminding heavy vehicle drivers to manage their fatigue by resting along the Kings Highway. The banners will also educate other road users on sharing the road and the dangers of tailgating, overtaking when unsafe, and cutting in front of large vehicles. The banners will be launched at an event in Bungendore during National Road Safety Week 2024.

Vehicle speeds through ACT school zones (PDF 33.5 MB)

Centre for Automotive Safety Research  at the University of Adelaide

$29,425

This project will examine vehicle speeds through ACT school zones to determine whether drivers comply with posted speed limits. The findings will guide a comparative analysis of school zone safety practices in other Australian states, to determine how ACT practices could be improved.

Empowering Learner Driver Instructors: Integrating higher-order instruction in accreditation

Queensland University of Technology

$54,054

This project will examine learner drivers’ capacity to critically analyse, problem-solve, and evaluate challenges in the road environment and will develop a prototype program containing competencies that provide a foundation for a higher-order instruction professional development course.

Impact of cannabis decriminalisation on road safety in the ACT

Swinburne University of Technology

$42,294

This project will investigate what impact cannabis decriminalisation has had on road safety in the ACT. It will investigate the incidence of drivers testing positive for THC at the roadside as well as the prevalence of injured drivers with THC in their system before (from 2011-2019) and after (2020-2023) decriminalisation.

Examining the effect of implementing low-speed zones on road safety in the ACT

University of New South Wales

$51,366.50

This project will focus on the impact of introducing low-speed zones in the ACT. It will examine both young drivers' speed compliance in low-speed zones as well as the perceived effect of introducing these zones on young drivers’ speed management and broader road safety in areas with pedestrian traffic such as city centres and school zones.

The Pilot Program aims to reduce aggressive driving and young driver involvement in road trauma, as well as changing behaviours of young people in the ACT region. It will provide at-risk, inexperienced drivers a chance to develop a deeper appreciation of road safety and the implications of their behaviours.

An additional $240,000 has been contributed by the Motor Accident Injuries Commission, to expand the delivery to include school presentations, community information and materials and additional referral opportunities.

Assessing predictors of
crash risk in older adults (PDF 671.6 KB)

The Australian National University

$16,785.98

This project will research the role of cognitive processes that regulate attention and shut out distraction in relation to driving safety for older drivers.

Safety When Work and Transport Merge Workshop (PDF 194.9 KB)

Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS)

$9,408.42

This project will provide local businesses and trade organisations with knowledge and skills to develop workplace and safety policies and procedures around transport.

Driving behaviours of ACT cannabis users following decriminalisation of cannabis cultivation and possession (PDF 2.2 MB)

University of Sydney - Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics

$50,000

This project will examine the cannabis use and driving behaviours of ACT residents who are legally cultivating and consuming cannabis.

The Motorcyclist Incident
Reporting Tool (MIRT): a new incident reporting and learning system (PDF 4.5 MB)

University of the Sunshine Coast

$52,542.45

This project will provide a new online incident reporting tool and learning system (MIRT). Motorcyclists across the ACT and Australia can use this tool to report incidents and near misses. These incidents can then be analysed.

First Aid for Learner Drivers: Delivery and Evaluation (PDF 806.1 KB)

Queensland University of Technology

$45,800

This project will implement and evaluate the ‘First Aid for Learner Drivers’ program in the ACT. The program will be delivered to 100 drivers and a process and impact evaluation will be undertaken.

Examining safety on roads around Canberra's light rail network (PDF 3.2 MB)

Monash University Accident Research Centre

$49,972

This project will identify key risks surrounding the road network in and around the light rail corridor and propose strategies to enhance safety.

Kings Highway Road Safety Partnership (PDF 3.0 MB)

Eurobodalla Shire Council

$12,170.04

This project will fund new road safety awareness banners which will be installed on the Kings Highway each holiday period over the next 4 to 5 years.

A survey of cyclist
travel and crash experiences in the ACT (PDF 6.6 MB)

University of Adelaide – Centre for Automotive Safety Research

$54,234.50

This project will survey cyclists in the ACT regarding their personal travel, crash experiences, injury outcomes and perceived safety on the ACT road network.

Risky driving behaviour identification using Internet of Things data (PDF 9.7 MB)

University of Technology Sydney

$60,872

This project will identify risky driving behaviours such as hard braking and harsh turning using Internet of Things (IoT) data received from vehicles’ on-board IoT devices. A heat map will be produced and reasons for the driving behaviours will be identified.

Learn to Drive Program (PDF 642.9 KB)

Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services

$49,800

This project will provide driver training for migrants and refugees as well as road safety education.

$34,820

University of Wollongong

$41,798

$34,534.47

Long term monitoring of bicycle passing distances in the ACT (PDF 4.5 MB)

$61,775

$3,156.80

An assessment of ACT road infrastructure for compatibility with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (PDF 2.8 MB)

Cognitive processes implicated in useful field of view task performance (PDF 1.6 MB)

Australian National University

$6,115

Assess how individuals perform on the field of vision task to bridge the disconnect between practical driving competency assessments and theoretical models of visual-cognitive processing.

Safety evaluation of seagull intersections in the ACT (PDF 3.6 MB)

Australian Road Research Board

$46,250

Identify and quantify the road safety issues associated with seagull intersections on the ACT road network to assist in prioritising intersection improvements.

Video capture and analysis of cyclists using infrastructure in the ACT through machine learning (PDF 5.3 MB)

Centre for Automotive Safety Research

$49,500

Trial a method of using video surveillance, augmented with machine learning, to automate the detection of cyclists to enable a greater understanding of how cyclists utilise transport network infrastructure and as a potential road safety tool.

Canberra community slow ride

Pedal Power ACT

$12,000

Promote awareness of the minimum passing distance laws and vulnerable road user safety (in collaboration with ACT Policing)

Evaluation of the Reducing Aggressive Driving (RAD) program for young drivers (PDF 3.6MB)

Monash University Accident Research Centre

$66,200

Evaluate the immediate and long-term outcomes of the RAD program, focusing on changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviour.

Identifying the pedestrian and cyclist black spots in the ACT road network (PDF 3.9 MB)

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

Use Geographical Information Systems and Kernel Density Estimation to identify the spatial patterns of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists on ACT roads.

A pilot project to deliver driving training and support for disadvantaged young learner drivers to progress from pre-learner to provisional driving.

First aid training and first aid kits (PDF 151.5 KB)

Road empathy: Understanding and evaluating campaigns for behaviour change in young drivers and VRUs (PDF 5.3 MB)

The RAD program: Reducing Aggressive Driving in young people (PDF 8.3 MB)

Motorcycle Awareness Week and “Joe Rider” (PDF 595.6 KB)

Minimum passing distance mats (PDF 672.3 KB)

An evaluation of bicycle passing distances in the ACT (PDF 6.7 MB)

Dr Jasper Wijnands

UOM

Kings Highway road safety campaign (PDF 227.8 KB)