CASR celebrates 50 years of making a difference

Congratulations from the NSW Centre for Road Safety on CASR turning 50! CASR has been a valued partner for a number of years now, and has been at the forefront of a broad range of road safety research that has been instrumental in assisting NSW pursue its strategic and policy agenda to continue to reduce road trauma. We wish you all the best, and look forward to continuing to collaborate in the future.Dr Ralston Fernandes - Director Road Safety Strategy and Policy Transport Safety, Transport for NSW

On behalf of the Tasmanian Government, the Department of State Growth, the Motor Accidents Insurance Board and the Tasmanian Road Safety Advisory Council, I would like to congratulate CASR on 50 years of contributing to road safety knowledge and research and to reducing road trauma in Tasmania, Australia and more broadly. Back when Dr Jack McLean AO established the Road Accident Research Unit in 1973, around 130 lives were lost each year in Tasmania. Now, in 2023 around 35 lives are lost in Tasmania, still too many, but a vast improvement on the 70s. For a small jurisdiction like Tasmania, the services provided by research organisations such as CASR are crucial in helping us to tackle our road toll. Understanding both the causes and consequences of crashes helps us to focus on initiatives proven to reduce harm in the event of a crash and to prioritise our efforts in saving lives and minimising catastrophic injury. CASR has a long history of collaboration with Tasmania. CASR provided advice on the strategic direction for our 10-year road safety strategy, which included a review of the previous strategy, analysis of 10 years of Tasmanian crash data for trends and patterns, and analysis of the cost and benefits of implementing solutions aligned with the Safe Systems approach to improving road safety. For a number of years, CASR has undertaken a triennial evaluation of the MAIB funded Road Safety Advisory Council Education and Enforcement Sub-Committee activities based on the review of data relating to police reported crashes, MAIB claims, demographics, enforcement and marketing. More recently, CASR has also undertaken research and modelling underpinning the business case for a new mobile speed camera program in Tasmania, provided research advice for a review of the Tasmanian motorcycle GLS and for best practice road safety market research. CASR research can be relied upon for rigor and robustness. Jeremy Woolley’s contribution as co-author to the National Inquiry into Road Safety is also recognised by Tasmania. Congratulations to Jeremy and the team on this impressive milestone. I hope you enjoy the well-deserved celebrations tonight and we look forward to working with you into the future. Craig Hoey - Manager Road Safety, Department of State Growth, Tasmania

My heartfelt and grateful congratulations to CASR (formally RARU) on 50 years of road safety contribution.  I have been working in road safety for over 40 of those 50 years, and for all that time CASR has been a major contributor to road safety in Australia and globally through seminal and influential research, as well as practical evidence based guidance.  The list of contributions is immense, and CASR continues to produce top quality guiding research.  I am grateful for all of this powerful life-saving research, which I continue to use on a regular basis in the papers and manuals I write as well as in discussions to influence governments and funders.  CASR's work continues to be leading, relevant, and compelling. I attribute this in significant part to the especially professional effective leadership of a culture of integrity and rigour through Jack, then Mary, and now Jeremy, which has helped develop some of the very best talent in road safety research in Australia. Keep it up! Dr Soames Job - CEO Global Road Safety Solutions Pty

The ACRS executive committee, in collaboration with Women in Trucking Australia, organised a road safety event at the Australian Parliament House on March 9th. This special occasion was coordinated by the Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety, co-chaired by Senator Glenn Sterle and Llew O'Brien MP. During the event, Associate Professor Jeremy Woolley delivered an insightful presentation highlighting the urgent need for significant reforms in the road transport system. He emphasised the importance of coordinating the operation, design, and management of roads, vehicles, and road users. Additionally, Jeremy emphasised the need to proactively address energy exchange and interactions within the system, and to consider consequences rather than solely focusing on likelihood.  Senator Glenn Sterle's response to Jeremy's speech was incredibly inspiring. He sincerely expressed his gratitude to Jeremy for his unwavering commitment and ongoing efforts to enhance road safety throughout Australia. The recognition received by Jeremy from Senator Sterle serves as an inspiration to all researchers in the field of road safety.Professor Sharon Newman - CARRS-Q

MUARC intrinsically owes much to CASR for its existence. Being established in 1973, 14 years before MUARC, the visionary model of an externally facing University based research centre established by Jack McLean, and the success of that model, was no doubt front of mind when Peter Vulcan established MUARC in 1987.

MUARC is proud to have maintained a close collegiate relationship with CASR over its history and looks forward to continued collaboration for many years.Professor Stuart Newstead - Director, Monash University Accident Research Centre

I'd like to thank CASR, and especially Jeremy Woolley, for his time and for their contributions to his 2010 Adelaide's Thinker in Residency. Emeritus Professor Fred Wegman - Traffic Safety at TU Delft

I am very sorry that I am not able to be with you in person to celebrate the contributions to road safety of RARU then CASR and of the many people who have helped create your success. It is quite a remarkable achievement for a research centre to be able to look back on 50 years of history. Short term funding cycles, which are all too often the reality today, mean that research centres come and go. But CASR has survived and most importantly prospered. The research you do is world class in quality and more significantly in an area like road safety, is relevant. The research CASR does in areas like in-depth crash analysis, for example, has been highly influential in refining countermeasures for crashes. Prof Jack McLean recognised the importance of understanding the circumstances of crashes as a foundation for targeted road safety. It is truly impressive that you have continued and built on this work as well as expanding into many other areas. I have no doubt that you will continue in the same vein and will be celebrating again in another 50 years.Professor (Emeritus) Ann Williamson - Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research UNSW Sydney President Australasian College of Road Safety

I would like to congratulate CASR on its 50th anniversary and for the major contribution it has made to improving road safety in Australia and globally. From its beginnings as RARU through to the present, the Centre has undertaken fundamental research that has enhanced road safety policy and practice across Australia and in many other countries.  You’ve earned a reputation for the quality and impact of your research, which is well-deserved. The collegiality and support you have shown to others within the road safety community is also much appreciated. Your ongoing efforts are required now more than ever, so all the best for the future.Professor Barry Watson - CARRS-Q