The 2026 Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC) was a great success, bringing together 671 delegates from Australia, New Zealand and around the world for four days of knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking in Sydney from 26 to 29 October 2026.
Hosted by the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) and Austroads, the 11th annual conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Sydney under the theme From Evidence to Action: Shaping a Brighter Future.
The conference brought together road safety professionals, researchers, policymakers, industry representatives and advocates to share the latest research, explore innovative approaches and strengthen collaboration towards eliminating fatal and serious road trauma.
With an extensive programme of keynote presentations, workshops, concurrent sessions and networking opportunities, the conference once again demonstrated the value of bringing together the diverse road safety community.
International expertise and thought-provoking discussions
The 2026 ARSC featured an outstanding line-up of keynote speakers, offering fresh perspectives on some of the most pressing challenges facing road safety.
Dr Soames Job
(pictured below), CEO and Principal of Global Road Safety Solutions, explored the barriers to evidence-based road safety action and how these can be overcome to achieve meaningful change.
Tom Flood
(pictured below), from Rovelo Creative in Canada, challenged delegates to rethink how road safety is communicated and presented, highlighting opportunities to reframe road safety conversations and engage communities.
Professor Astrid Linder (pictured below), from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), shared important developments in crash testing, occupant protection and injury prevention, including advances in crash test dummies and computer modelling.
Together, the keynote presentations reinforced the importance of translating research and evidence into practical action, while challenging delegates to consider new approaches to improving road safety.
The comprehensive conference programme featured presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions across a wide range of topics, including safer roads and speeds, vehicle safety, road user behaviour, enforcement, vulnerable road users, crash data, post-crash care, road safety management and emerging technologies.
The breadth of topics and international perspectives highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in addressing road safety challenges.
Interactive workshops and practical learning
The conference commenced on Monday 26 October with workshops, providing delegates with opportunities to participate in focused discussions, share experiences and explore practical solutions to road safety challenges.
Workshops covered a diverse range of topics, including rural road safety, women in road safety (pictured below), local government, road policing, heavy vehicle safety, vehicle safety, early career professionals and road safety initiatives in low- and middle-income countries.
These interactive sessions encouraged delegates to share their expertise, learn from one another and identify opportunities to apply evidence-based approaches in their own organisations and communities.
Connecting the road safety community
Beyond the formal programme, the 2026 ARSC provided numerous opportunities for delegates to strengthen professional relationships and establish new connections.
From the Welcome Reception aboard Starship Sydney (pictured below) to the conference Gala Dinner, networking functions, breakfasts and informal discussions throughout the week, delegates enjoyed a variety of opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and meet others working across the road safety sector.
Set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, the Hyatt Regency Sydney provided an excellent venue for the conference, with its central location and facilities supporting both the formal programme and the many networking opportunities.
These professional connections are an important part of the conference’s ongoing value, fostering collaboration between researchers, practitioners, government agencies, industry and community organisations long after the event concludes.
Celebrating at the 2026 ACRS Awards
A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the 2026 Australasian College of Road Safety Awards at the Gala Dinner (pictured below) on Tuesday 27 October, held in the Sydney Town Hall.
The awards recognised outstanding individuals and organisations making significant contributions to road safety through leadership, research, innovation, advocacy and practical initiatives.
Congratulations to the 2026 award recipients:
- ACRS Women in Road Safety Award: Melanie Suitor
- ACRS Fellowship Award: Glenn Weir
- ACRS Road Safety Reporting Award: Julian O’Shea
- ACRS Young Leaders Oration Award: Fritha Argus
- ACRS Excellence in Road Safety Award: Austroads – AusRAP Coordination and Delivery Program
The ACRS Excellence in Road Safety Highly Commended Awards were also presented to the AIP Foundation for its Safe School Zones Guide in Vietnam and the Road Safety Directorate of Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications for its Safe School Zones Program.
The awards celebrated the dedication, expertise and innovation of individuals and organisations working to improve road safety across Australasia and internationally.
Read more about the 2026 ACRS Award winners.
Recognising excellence in road safety research and practice
The 2026 Australasian Road Safety Conference also celebrated outstanding research and contributions to road safety through the presentation of the 2026 ARSC Paper Prizes.
These prizes recognised excellence in research, innovation and practical approaches to improving road safety, highlighting the important role of evidence in reducing fatal and serious road trauma.
Congratulations to the 2026 prize recipients:
- Best Conference Theme Submission: Rachel Palermo, Liverpool City Council – Behaviour Change Before Infrastructure Change: Managing Rapidly Growing School Traffic
- Best Submission by a New Road Safety Practitioner: Hoang Mi Linh Nguyen, AIP Foundation – School Zone Safety in LMICs: A Data-Driven Participatory Framework
- Best Submission by a Road Safety Practitioner: Moses Mwale, World Health Organisation – Rising Motorcycle Crash Burden in Zambia: Eight-Year Policy Evidence
- Best Submission by a New Road Safety Researcher: Daniel Malone, Griffith University – Understanding Driver Responses to Emergency Vehicles
- Best Submission by a Road Safety Researcher: Lyndel Bates, Griffith Criminology Institute – Incorporating procedural justice into random breath testing: Effects on speeding
- Best Road Safety Poster: Kartika Indira Putri, Taipei Medical University – Temperature and Head Injury Risk among Motorcyclists in Taiwan
- People’s Choice Poster: Liam Downing, Transport for NSW – Evaluation of the NSW Safer Drivers Course
- Tom McLaughlin Prize for Best Submission with Implications for Improving Child Road Safety: Natalie Ashton, City of Casey – From Local Evidence to Safer School Precincts
- Best Submission with Implications for Improving Road Safety Policing: Lisa Wundersitz, Centre for Automotive Safety Research, Adelaide University – Cameras or Cops: What deters drivers from speeding?
The ACRS congratulates all prize recipients (available winners pictured below) and thanks everyone who contributed to the conference’s high-quality research and presentations. Their work demonstrates the breadth of expertise across the road safety community and the importance of translating evidence into meaningful action.
Thank you to our road safety community
The ACRS extends its sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the 2026 Australasian Road Safety Conference.
A special thank you goes to the NSW Scientific Committee and Host Committee for their dedication, hard work and invaluable contribution to planning and delivering such a successful conference. Their local knowledge, expertise and commitment were instrumental in making the Sydney conference a memorable experience for delegates.
We also thank our conference co-host Austroads, sponsors, exhibitors, keynote speakers, presenters, workshop facilitators, volunteers, organising committees and delegates for their valuable contributions and continued commitment to improving road safety.
The enthusiasm, expertise and collaboration demonstrated by the 671 delegates throughout the four days reinforced the strength of our road safety community and the importance of working together to turn evidence into action.
While the 2026 conference has concluded, the discussions, ideas and connections established in Sydney will continue to support efforts to eliminate fatal and serious road trauma.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Sydney for the 2026 ARSC. We look forward to continuing the conversations and building on the momentum at the 2027 conference, which will be held in Geelong, Victoria. Watch the video for the 2027 ARSC in Geelong below.
For more information about the conference and its programme, visit the Australasian Road Safety Conference website.