Five UNSW research programs will share in $29 million of federal government funding for road safety awareness projects.
In 2024, Australia’s road toll was the deadliest in more than a decade, with 1300 fatalities. And it’s not just car passengers that are included in the sobering statistics, with the number of cyclists and pedestrians killed on the roads also going up.
These active transport users are particularly vulnerable, as they have little to no protection in the event of an incident or crash. Transport engineering expert at UNSW, Professor Taha Hossein Rashidi, said more investment in road safety research was vital.
“Improving road safety is crucial to reduce injuries and save lives,” said Prof. Rashidi, Director of the Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI) at the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering. “Cycling is a healthy, eco-friendly mode of transport to get around, but safety concerns with infrastructure and road conditions deter many would-be cyclists from riding.”
Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Senator Anthony Chisholm, visited Prof. Rashidi’s team at rCITI today, awarding them $233,965 to evaluate cyclist behaviour through a VR street simulator, VRStreetLab. It’s one of five UNSW projects to share in $29 million in new National Road Safety Action Grants Program funding, which is awarded to non-infrastructure road safety projects focused on expanding new technology, research and education.
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The VRStreetLab project explores ways to improve rider safety, such as advanced sensors that alert cyclists to hazards and live signage that can update with changing traffic and weather conditions. Virtual simulations that re-create the conditions of real street settings test how road users respond to the interventions and determine their feasibility.
“VRStreetLab is a novel VR transport simulator that tests smart cycling infrastructure and safety measures to make our streets safer,” said Prof. Rashidi. “Our technology allows us to better understand how cyclists interact with safety interventions like smart sensor traffic lights, collision warning systems and digital signage with real-time updates in a fully immersive simulated environment.
“The benefit is a rapid, cost-effective platform to evaluate the impact of safety measures to inform transport policy before large-scale investment.”
Prof. Rashidi said the funding will fully support the team in conducting innovative transport research that enhances safety for everyone on the road, with the potential for further initiatives upon project completion.
Improving road safety is crucial to reduce injuries and save lives.
UNSW research received a total of $2,384,656 in funding, including:
- $658,299 for a project using linked data to understand predictors of road crashes in NSW.
- $882,620 for a project unravelling the role of prescription medicine use in the causes and consequences of serious and injury.
- $209,672 for a project improving the quality and analysis of data on fatal road crashes in Australia.
- $400,100 for a project measuring and monitoring the state of Australia's road safety culture.
A further 53 road safety projects across the country will benefit from over $29 million in total federal government grant funding, which prioritises five key areas critical to reducing deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads: vulnerable road users, community education and awareness, First Nations road safety, technology and innovation, and research and data.
“Keeping people safe on our roads is a critical priority of our government, which is why we’re rolling out this much-needed funding to support projects that will make a real difference in changing the way we think about road safety,” said Senator Chisholm. “Everyone has a role to play when it comes to road safety, and by working together to deliver projects like these, we can support better road safety outcomes for Australia.”
