Podcasts

A podcast series that explores current road safety issues and trends, while introducing the Australasian Road Safety Conference’s 2024 theme of “Target 2030. What’s the pathway forward?”. Throughout the series you will be introduced to keynote speakers that will present at this year’s conference.

Episode 1

In this episode, we talk with Dr Ian Johnston who is a road safety expert with an exceptional history in road safety. While Ian is not presenting at the Australasian Road Safety Conference, he kicks off this series with an insightful discussion on where we have come from in road safety as well as providing insights into what he thinks will help us on our pathway forward.

In following episodes, we will delve deeper into what you can expect at this year’s conference as we introduce each of the keynote speakers.

Episode 2

In this episode, we chat with Dr Ingrid Johnston about what the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) does and the benefits you can receive from joining the ACRS, such as access to networking events and learning opportunities. Ingrid also discusses the exciting things you can expect from the 2024 Australasian Road Safety Conference.

We also meet the first keynote speaker that will appear at the conference, Dr Amantha Imber. Amantha is an organisation psychologist and brings an interesting perspective to our Road Safety Conversations.

On the next episode, we will start to delve deeper into specific road safety topics.

Episode 3

In this episode of the Road Safety Conversations podcast, host Kenn Beer chats with Carla Hoorweg, CEO of ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program), about the critical role vehicle safety plays in reducing road fatalities and serious injuries. Carla explains ANCAP’s vehicle testing protocols and the challenges and opportunities to improving vehicle safety in Australia.

The discussion touches on ANCAP’s role in raising safety standards, future advancements in vehicle safety technologies and encouraging manufacturers to reach higher levels of safety. Carla also highlights the importance of using vehicle safety features to protect our most vulnerable road users.

Episode 4

In this episode of the Road Safety Conversations podcast, host Kenn Beer chats with Dr. Helen Wells, a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Keele and Director of the Roads Policing Academic Network. They discuss a range of topics including speed enforcement, the use of dash cams, attitudes toward road policing, and distracted driving. Helen explains the importance of enforcement in road safety, addressing our tolerance to risk.

The conversation also covers the efficacy of technology in enforcement, the limitations of such technologies, and the need for laws that genuinely reflect safety concerns. Helen emphasizes the importance of combining education, enforcement, and engineering to create safer road environments. The episode concludes with a discussion about the upcoming Australasian Road Safety Conference, where Helen will present as a keynote speaker.

Episode 5

Our final episode of Road Safety Conversations, features discussions with Dr. Lars Ekman and Stuart Baird.

Dr. Lars Ekman, a keynote speaker at the Australasian Road Safety Conference, calls in from Sweden to shares his insights and learnings on the implementation of Vision Zero in Sweden, a country known for being a leader in road safety.

Stuart Baird, a Senior Transport Engineer at the City of Hobart, discusses the revitalisation of the Hobart waterfront and the challenges faced in creating safe and accessible spaces.

This podcast series has been a great opportunity to unpack road safety topics while meeting the keynote speakers that will be presenting at the upcoming Australasian Road Safety Conference. Thank you for listening and be sure to register for the conference to hear more from experts in road safety.