Road Trauma Support WA has had a busy start to the year, as the team continue to receive support requests from communities, families and individuals impacted by road trauma. It has been a devastating start to 2024 with road fatality year-to-date statistics already higher than this time last year. If you or someone you know has been impacted by a road crash and are requiring support, please reach out to our friendly team.
In late February we had the privilege of supporting RAC Project Road Smart in Bunbury alongside the local headspace team. The annual two-day event which was attended by over 1,100 students, features a crash re-enactment and guest speakers with the aim to increase understanding of the consequences of risk-taking behaviours like distracted driving, speeding and drink/drug driving. While in Bunbury the team met with Southwest Community Emergency Service Managers at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) to share how Road Trauma Support WA can support them in providing post-crash care.
We are excited to have several presentations and workshops scheduled for the coming months with key stakeholders across the state. A new workshop ‘Compassion Fatigue and Your Wellbeing’ is now available for delivery. Find out more in the education and training section below.
We’d like to take the time to acknowledge the school holidays including Easter break are fast approaching at the end of March and we encourage everyone to be present and safe on our roads. Our team are available during office hours to provide support to anyone who may be impacted during this time.
Road Safety Commission Road Safety Grants
The first round of Road Safety Grants for 2024 closed on Friday 8th of March. If you have missed out on the current round of road safety grants you can begin to prepare for the next round of applications due to open in July.
Keep an eye on the Community Grants Portal for updates and application information.
Are you aware of the Six Supportive Steps campaign?
If so, we would greatly appreciate it if you took five minutes to provide us with some feedback regarding the campaign.
The Six Supportive Steps campaign is a six-week online campaign that helps people impacted by road trauma who are grieving the loss of a loved one to support themselves or others during the holiday season. In 2023/24 the campaign ran from 17 November to 7 January.
Your feedback helps us to continually improve the support that Injury Matters provides to the community.
Australian Road Safety Foundation 2023 Report
The Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) has released 2023 road toll statistics across Australia with a 7.3% increase in deaths on our roads recorded. The latest statistics also indicate that more than half of the lives lost last year were in fact not drivers and 3 in 4 deaths were male.
The CEO and Founder Russell White highlighted in his recent February newsletter that there has been a prominent surge in risky behaviour, impatience, and aggression on Australian roads, and that a shift in road safety culture is urgently needed to promote more awareness, tolerance and respect on our roads.
Supporting Children and Youth impacted by road trauma
Children have unique ways of understanding death and other traumatic events, depending on their age and level of maturity. Just like adults, they vary in their ability to cope with road trauma whether involved in a crash, being a witness to a crash or having lost someone they were close to.
Road Trauma Support WA can provide counselling support to children aged 13 years and over. Parents or guardians of the child will be required to be involved in the initial appointment to ascertain who is supporting the child, expectations for the child, whether the child is open to counselling and whether they can participate in traditional talk therapy.
Education and Training
The Road Trauma Support team regularly deliver education and training to community members, local Government, and key stakeholder organisations in the road safety sector.
Currently, the program has three workshops available:
- Introduction to Road Trauma Support WA – can be delivered between 30 – 60 minutes.
- After a road crash: Supporting yourself and others – can be delivered between 2 hours and half a day.
- Compassion Fatigue and Your Wellbeing – can be delivered between 2 hours and half a day.
The Road Trauma Support team can tailor workshops to your organisation or community needs (fee may apply).
To enquire about workshop opportunities for your community or workplace please contact us.
Upcoming Regional Travel
There have been some changes to our regional travel schedule for the remainder of the year. To stay up to date on regional travel visit our travel page on the website.
If you are curious about opportunities for the Road Trauma Support Team to visit your region in 2024, please get in contact directly with us.
National Road Safety Week 2024
This year National Road Safety Week will run from 5th – 12th of May and will encourage individuals and organisations to made a pledge to drive so others survive. 2024 daily themes are:
- Sunday 5th May Remember the 1200
- Monday 6th May: Your Road Safety Pledge
- Tuesday 7th May: Road Safety for the Next Generation
- Wednesday 8th May: Protect those who Protect and Assist Us
- Thursday 9th May: How Safe is My Ride?
- Friday 10th May: Drive in the Moment + Avoid Distraction
- Saturday 11th May: Share the Street
- Sunday 12th May: Take Care on Regional Roads
Lived Experience Presenters
Paraplegic Benefit Fund (PBF)
PBF are currently looking to employ injury prevention presenters with a lived experience of spinal cord injury. If you are interested in sharing your story to help prevent injuries at work, on the road or in the water, casual positions with flexible hours are available with full training and support provided.