Road Safety Award winners

Darwin-based Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) took out two prizes for its Light Vehicle Committee initiative. The program focused on protecting its Ranger mine site employees and promoting safe driving in the broader Northern Territory community.

The Rio Tinto Semi Quantitative Risk Assessment (SQRA) found that the 260 kilometre on-the-job commute between the Ranger mine and Darwin posed the biggest risk to ERA workers – larger than any other task performed during work operations.

The Light Vehicle Committee initiative won the most prestigious honour, the Founder’s Award, largely due to its originality and ability to coincide with other local safety initiatives. ARSF CEO and Founder Russell White commended the ERA’s niche road safety program for also promoting general road safety in the area.

“It is clear from the Light Vehicle Committee program that ERA takes road safety very seriously. The Committee is an important step in ERA’s campaign to reduce the significant risk the Ranger mine to Darwin commute poses to ERA employees. But not only is the Committee’s working to protect ERA staff and contractors it is promoting road safety to the broader driving community,” said Mr White.

While only in its second year, the Australian Road Safety Awards is already proving to be a major catalyst for influencing and implementing safety measures on our roads. This year saw a large number of positive initiatives and achievements spurring from a range of entrants including individuals, schools, government organisations and community groups.

Further winners at the awards included the Qld Police Citizens Youth and Welfare Association (Community Programs); Playful Beginnings Aboriginal Corporation (Indigenous Road Safety); Hanson Construction Queensland (Innovation); Lismore City Council (Local Government Initiatives); Queensland Police Service (State Government initiatives) and Westmead Hospital’s Trauma Service (Schools Program).

Mr White said that this years' entrants and winners highlighted a positive move for Australia in fostering new and ongoing road safety measures. “I would like to congratulate tonight’s Awards winners for their commitment to improving road safety and reducing road trauma.

“We hope the Awards will encourage new standards of excellence in the road safety industry and in turn, will act as a catalyst to increase road safety activities across the nation,” said Mr White.

2012 Australian Road Safety Awards

Community Programs
Winner: Queensland Police Citizens Youth and Welfare Association (QLD)
Project: Braking the Cycle Program

School Programs
Winner: Trauma Service Westmead Hospital (NSW)
Project: bStreetSmart

State Government Initiatives
Winner: Queensland Police Service (QLD)
Project: Project R.A.P.T.A.R (Reduce Accidents, Prevent Tragedy, Activate Resources)

Local Government Initiative
Winner: Lismore City Council (NSW)
Project: Drive to Conditions Road Safety Project

Innovation
Winner: Hanson Construction Queensland (QLD)
Project: Wolffdene Quarry Safe Driving Workshop

Corporate Fleet Safety
Winner: Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) (NT)
Project: Light Vehicle Committee

Indigenous Road Safety
Winner: Playful Beginnings Aboriginal Corporation (NSW)
Project: “The Road, My Mob and Me”

Founder’s Award for Outstanding Achievement – Overall Winner
Winner: Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) (NT)
Project: Light Vehicle Committee

Caltex Improvement Grant recipients
Hypodrive (QLD)
Playful Beginnings Aboriginal Corporation (NSW)
Spinal Injuries Association (QLD)
Queensland Police Citizens Youth and Welfare Association (QLD)