| 08/05/2013 |
The CARRS-Q Breakfast Series - Associate Professor Bruce Corben, Monash University Accident Research Centre
Celebrating the Second UN Global Road Safety Week Theme of Pedestrian Safety
Walking is fundamental to human existence. We tend to take it for granted in a world in which private car travel is the dominant way of moving around. The world is changing rapidly, and not always in a positive direction. Population health is suffering due to less active life styles; climates are under threat; and the quality of air we breathe is problematic for our health. At the same time, we value more highly the vibrancy and 'liveability' of our cities and towns.
An important question for society seems to be: how can we make substantially better provision for walking, at low risk from traffic crashes, so that we will realise the major benefits of convenient, healthy safe walking in places where people live, work and visit?
This presentation will discuss the opportunities available, primarily through infrastructure and speed management, to create urban areas which meet the expectations, needs and challenges of today's society.
Following 20 years as a road safety practitioner in the traffic engineering, management and design fields, Bruce has been a research academic at Monash University Accident Research Centre since 1993. His early research interests included improving the safety of pedestrians, motorcyclists, roadsides and intersections, through infrastructure design, speed management and, more recently, road safety strategy development and target-setting.
Bruce's work has found practical application at national and state levels, in Australia and New Zealand, as well as internationally, to guide best-practice infrastructure investment and develop ambitious road safety strategies. Bruce has worked extensively in leading multi-disciplinary research teams which seek practical outcomes and, ideally, widespread application. Bruce undertook his PhD studies in achieving low risk traffic environments for pedestrians.
Slides from Associate Professor Corben's presentation [PDF, 14MB] |
