Vehicle Safety Research Group now delivered within the NRSPP
The National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) announces integration of the Vehicle Safety Research Group (VSRG), to strengthen road safety efforts.
The VSRG plays a vital role in both Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 Action Plan 2023-25 and New Zealand’s Road Safety Strategy 2020-2030. The group’s activities are focused on measuring and improving the safety of vehicle fleets in both countries.
Research commissioned by the VSRG is led by the Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR) alongside a range of associated research informing national and state road safety policies and initiatives.
The VSRG is funded by nine government agencies across Australia and New Zealand. It was previously governed by ANCAP, which delivers a new car safety assessment program. However, a move to VSRG governance under the NRSPP was considered a better alignment due to the NRSPP focus on translating research evidence for broad community impact. .
The VSRG remains an autonomous program within NRSPP, which oversees its governance, monthly reporting, communications and research program. The VSRG, like NRSPP, is hosted by and delivered through the Monash University through its Accident Research Centre (MUARC).
“The VSRG has been a quiet achiever over the years. With its new hosting within the NRSPP it has developed its own brand and identity” said NRSPP Independent Chair, Emeritus Professor Jude Charlton. “This integration allows us to better translate world leading research from the VSRG so more people can engage and can make more informed vehicle safety decisions and governments can make decisions on vehicle safety policy based on the strongest evidence.”
“ The formal integration of VSRG was a complex, two-year journey with our nine funders. While the process was officially completed recently it unofficially began with the 2023 UCSR report, ” said MUARC Director, Professor Stuart Newstead. “The 2024 UCSR report achieved record coverage, and we hope this trend will continue year after year.”
“One advantage of integrating into NRSPP is the opportunity to leverage the program’s grey fleet work, a rapidly growing sector of used cars becoming more prominent in the workforce, replacing traditional vehicle fleets.”
“The VSRG membership is open for new funding members,” said Professor Newstead. “We also look forward to exploring potential research projects with the NRSPP’s collaborative NTARC partnership, and leveraging the NTI data to uncover new insights into vehicle safety through insurance data.”
To learn more about VSRG,visit the NRSPP Australia – VSRG.
