Congratulations to leading road safety advocates, A/Professor Jeremy Woolley, Director of the Centre for Automotive Safety Research, and Dr John Crozier, Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trauma Committee, who were presented with prestigious 2018 ACRS Fellowship at last night’s glittering ACRS Award Ceremony at Sydney’s Doltone House. The ceremony took place in front of 600 of Australasia’s foremost road safety professionals and advocates, and is deserved recognition of Associate Professor Woolley and Dr Crozier’s profound commitment to the reduction of road trauma.
The award was presented by Hon Michael McCormack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, and ACRS President Mr Lauchlan McIntosh AM, during the 2018 Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC2018).
Mr McCormack congratulated Associate Professor Woolley and Dr Crozier for their outstanding commitment and work to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on the national road network.
Mr McCormack said Associate Professor Woolley and Dr Crozier are both passionate road safety advocates with great expertise and the Fellowship award acknowledged their high-level and ongoing contributions to improve road safety throughout Australia.
“I am particularly delighted to acknowledge Associate Professor Woolley and Dr Crozier for claiming this honour which recognises their outstanding work and leadership over many years,” he said.
“A recent example of this contribution includes overseeing the independent inquiry into the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 which was initiated by the Australian Government in September 2017 and saw a report released in September this year.
“This report made a number of evidence-based recommendations, through extensive stakeholder consultations, which will assist governments and agencies throughout Australia with sharing responsibility to deliver better road safety outcomes and for this contribution and so many more, both men can be especially proud.”
In detailing the award, ACRS President Mr Lauchlan McIntosh AM said: “These two Fellowships demonstrate the broad canvas of road safety, recognising two individuals who have been effectively working from different edges of that canvas; Associate Professor Woolley in research and management, and Dr John Crozier in trauma care of victims.
“Both Jeremy and John continue to be expert contributors and effective advocates for solutions to reducing road crash trauma. Their combined efforts as co-Chairs of the recent Independent Review of the National Road Safety Strategy demonstrate the synergy that can be achieved, as they formulated recommendations to reform the way road safety management is delivered – not only now but for the decades to come”.
In receiving the award from the Deputy Prime Minsiter, Dr Crozier said “I am humbled by the honour of receiving this honourary Fellowship of the Australasian College of Road Safety. This will further spur my efforts to help reduce the silent national public health epidemic of serious injury and death, from road crashes on our roads, each year – nothing less than Vision Zero is acceptable.“
Associate Professor Woolley said “I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this award and know that it will further stimulate my efforts to pursue a step change in road safety performance in Australia. It has been a privilege to be in a leadership position striving for better outcomes for society, working with skilled, professional and highly dedicated individuals and organisations across the nation. I hope that the collective efforts of these people can be nurtured and magnified as we work to offset the long term disaster that will burden future generations.”
“We must continue to adjust and improve a system that is not well suited to human operation and seek to eliminate the harm being done,” said Associate Professor Woolley. “Australia can choose to shape its own future and be world leaders again in road safety. We must explore all options available to us and break away from many historical perspectives that have become entrenched in our organisations and culture. We owe it to current and future generations to begin fixing the problem, not continuing to cope with it.”
With the 2018 awards, Associate Professor Woolley and Dr Crozier join an elite group of eminent road safety professionals who have all been bestowed the honour of an ACRS Fellowship. The College first instituted the award of Fellow in 1991 to enable colleagues to nominate a person recognised by their peers as outstanding in terms of their contributions to road safety.