Road safety history was made in NSW this month with the inaugural gathering of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety.
Initiated by Australasian College of Road Safety NSW Chapter Chair Mick Timms, the parliamentary group is led by Member for Camden Sally Quinnell and Member for Orange Phil Donato. Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr is the group’s deputy chair.
On 6th May 2026, parliamentarians from across the house gathered to chat with some of road safety’s best and gain additional perspective about how road safety reaches beyond the highways and touches on all aspects of everyday life.
“This inaugural event showcased the heart, soul and depth of talent within the ACRS NSW Chapter,” Mr Timms said.
“It was the climax of an Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) NSW Chapter concept of operation almost two years in the making.
“I am grateful to Phil, Sally, and Joe for establishing the group which stood up late last year. It’s been a pleasure working with Sally, my local state member, and her team to hold this initial gathering for the group.
The event showcased presentations from NSW Chapter Deputy Chair Dr Tasha Prabhakar GAICD, David McTiernan, and Dr John Crozier. Those assembled also heard presentations from TfNSW’s Evan Walker and Transurban’s Peter Munro.
Dr Prabhakar said as the Australasian Road Safety Conference in Sydney approached, she encouraged all Members of Parliament to build on the distinguished road safety history of NSW Parliament by supporting four key initiatives:
1. Expand average speed cameras for light vehicles
2. Rollout more lower urban speed limits
3. Use safety star ratings as a strong evidence base for future investment
4. Use NSW’s purchasing power to put safer vehicles on our roads sooner.
Mr McTiernan described the initiative as a partnership with local government that involved building their capability and increasing their capacity to deliver road safety outcomes on their roads to their communities.
“The proactive management of speed – ensuring we have the right speed for the right road, especially on local networks and the streets where we live, work and play,” Mr McTiernan said.
He is seeking “Bespoke actions items in the 2031 Road Safety Action Plan that address local issues by local councils.”
The scale and reality of post-crash care was laid bare by Dr Crozier, who described the life-saving work of his Liverpool Hospital team in providing critical care to a motorcyclist in his 60’s injured in a serious crash only days before the forum.
“Four units of blood, a CT scan, followed by a six-hour operation involving five specialists,” Dr Crozier said, adding “a second surgery was required” for the rider’s leg and internal injuries.
Dr Crozier expressed hope NSW Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety would enable “alignment between political strains to agree on landing points.”
In the lead up to National Road Safety Week, ACRS NSW provided MPs with TfNSW crash data by electorate and wrote National Road Safety Week talking points so MPs can personalise messaging to their constituents.
Over morning tea, ACRS NSW invited MPs to sign a Commitment to Road Trauma Reduction, endorsing the goals and targets in the current 2026 and upcoming 2031 NSW Road Safety Action Plans.
“Thanks to Roads Minister, The Hon. Jenny Aitchison MP for coming along and being the first MP to sign the Commitment to Road Trauma Reduction.”
David Driver
