Latest news with #ACRS
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Nominations Now Open – Recognising Excellence In Road Safety Reporting
Press Release – Australasian College of Road Safety This initiative reflects the Australasian College of Road Safetys commitment to promoting informed, evidence-led public dialogue as a key driver of road safety for all. Do you know a journalist or media outlet making a real difference through powerful reporting on road safety? The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 ACRS Road Safety Reporting Award. This prestigious award recognises outstanding journalism that raises awareness, drives public dialogue, and contributes to the reduction of road trauma across Australia, New Zealand, and the region. Award highlights: Open to individuals or teams working across print, broadcast, or digital media Recognises reporting that informs, educates, and promotes road safety Winner announced at the annual Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC) Opportunity to showcase your work to leading road safety experts and policymakers Submissions must have been published or aired between 1 May 2024 and 30 April 2025. Those submitting are invited to showcase how their work incorporates credible research, amplifies stakeholder voices, raises public awareness, and advocates for change to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. This initiative reflects the Australasian College of Road Safety's commitment to promoting informed, evidence-led public dialogue as a key driver of road safety for all. If you or someone you know has published compelling journalism that advances public understanding of road safety, we encourage you to nominate now (terms & conditions apply). The winner of the Road Safety Reporting Award receives:
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Nominations Now Open - Recognising Excellence In Road Safety Reporting
Do you know a journalist or media outlet making a real difference through powerful reporting on road safety? The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 ACRS Road Safety Reporting Award. This prestigious award recognises outstanding journalism that raises awareness, drives public dialogue, and contributes to the reduction of road trauma across Australia, New Zealand, and the region. Award highlights: Open to individuals or teams working across print, broadcast, or digital media Recognises reporting that informs, educates, and promotes road safety Winner announced at the annual Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC) Opportunity to showcase your work to leading road safety experts and policymakers Submissions must have been published or aired between 1 May 2024 and 30 April 2025. Those submitting are invited to showcase how their work incorporates credible research, amplifies stakeholder voices, raises public awareness, and advocates for change to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. This initiative reflects the Australasian College of Road Safety's commitment to promoting informed, evidence-led public dialogue as a key driver of road safety for all. If you or someone you know has published compelling journalism that advances public understanding of road safety, we encourage you to nominate now (terms & conditions apply). The winner of the Road Safety Reporting Award receives:
The Independent
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
‘I worked for the British in Kabul embassy for 18 years. Let me reunite with my sons'
A security guard who worked for the British embassy in Kabul for almost two decades is calling on the Home Office to help him reunite his family after he was evacuated during the Taliban takeover, but his two eldest sons were forced to stay. Hamidullah Fahim and his wife Zaghona were brought to the UK with two young children in December 2023, on a dedicated scheme for employees of the British Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. However he couldn't bring his two eldest sons, who are now 21 and 22, because they are over the age of 18. Mr Fahim is now pleading with the Home Office to be reunited with them in the UK. Though the family applied for Najibullah and Hasibullah to be evacuated to the UK from Afghanistan, where they currently live with their grandmother, their applications have been rejected twice by officials. Mr Fahim said that while the family tries to speak to the two eldest sons regularly on the phone, it has been hard to be apart. 'It has affected them and us both. We want to do whatever we can to be reunited with them and to let the Home Office know of the injustice that has been carried out in our case. 'It is especially difficult for our young children who get upset whenever we speak to them, and for my wife who is struggling a lot', he explained. His wife Zaghona is struggling to sleep, and suffers from nightmares where she sees her son being harmed, a report from a social worker found. She can be withdrawn from the family and is often tearful, according to the assessment. Before the Taliban takeover, Hasibullah and Najibullah never lived independently and were dependent on their parents. Their parents and two young siblings, aged 13 and 15, were evacuated to Pakistan in early 2023 and left the eldest sons behind in the hope that when they got to the UK they would be able to apply for reunification. The family of six, including the eldest sons, were told to come to Kabul airport during the chaos of the 2021 evacuation, along with hundreds of other GardaWorld staff who had worked at the British embassy, with the view that they would all be brought to the UK. However, they were told to leave the airport after a suicide bomb blast prevented their evacuation. They were then moved on to the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which didn't include Najibullah and Hasibullah. Mr Fahim worked as a security guard at the British embassy in Kabul from 2004 to 2021 and therefore qualified for pathway three of this scheme. Under the terms of the scheme, an eligible person can only bring children under 18 with them to the UK. The Foreign Office, who run pathway three of this scheme, offered the family the chance to submit a separate application for their two eldest sons but Mr Fahim's attempts to take advantage of this have not been successful, compounded by the fact that the family don't speak English. Nick Beales, from charity Ramfel who are supporting the family, said that the father had 'persistently sought to communicate with the FCDO about sponsoring his children to relocate to the UK, but when these avenues hit a brick wall they had to proceed with making an application to the Home Office'. In the UK, the family do not have refugee status and therefore are not normally eligible to sponsor family members under the Refugee Family Reunion policy. Their applications have so far been rejected twice by the Home Office. One of the older sons, Najibullah, said: 'Before our parents left we had a good life, we used to study and go to school... but currently we are not studying and we don't have money to do that. When they left, I was extremely upset, I became very unwell and they gave me IV fluids, but I have hope that in future things will get better and we will be able to reunite with our parents.' Masuda, who is 15, said that she dreams that she will be reunited with her brothers one day. She explained to a social worker: 'In Afghanistan we used to make a slide out of the snow – we used to play together, it was so fun. 'It's not good being separated especially when I see my mum crying. It affects her quite a lot.' Mr Beales, from Ramfel, added: 'The Fahim family were promised safety in the UK after their 18 years of service to the British Embassy, but the British government have instead abandoned them. At Ramfel, we see time and again how families on the Arap and Acrs schemes are denied family reunification, despite successive governments repeatedly falsely claiming that Afghans can safely reach the UK. The government's new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill does nothing to address these failures, and focuses exclusively on yet more so-called deterrence measures. New immigration legislation should instead look at expanding safe routes so that families can swiftly reunite and rebuild their lives in the UK.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases.'
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Widespread belief about speed limits on Aussie roads busted: 'People don't realise'
When Australian councils announce they're considering lowering speed limits in areas with high pedestrian activity, there's often immediate backlash from the public. Many people, while agreeing more needs to be done to minimise road trauma, argue it shouldn't come at the cost of increasing congestion, which they say can happen as a result of lower speeds. In recent times, numerous local governments across the country have reduced limits in areas popular with pedestrians, cyclists and children, in a bid to increase safety. The City of Yarra council in Melbourne, for example, reduced local limits to 30 kilometres per hour, around several popular suburbs including Fitzroy and Collingwood, just this month. With the country's population steadily growing, some say slower speeds will simply add to the problem. But according to Dr Ingrid Johnston, CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), that simply isn't the case. Speaking to Yahoo, Johnston debunked this common misconception and reiterated the fact that the lower speeds mean higher chances of survival in crashes. "We know very clearly that to avoid people being killed or seriously injured in a crash, or better still, to avoid the crash happening in the first place, you need to be controlling the amount of energy which is in that crash," she said. Push to reduce speed limits to 30km/h for millions Renewed calls for major road rule change Aussie drivers explode over city's speed limit plan "We know that if a vehicle collides with the pedestrian, then if that vehicle is going at any more than about 30 kilometres per hour, that pedestrian's chances of survival plummet. And actually, if you've got reasonably heavy traffic, and if you slow that traffic down, it can travel more smoothly overall — and that's actually more efficient." Infrastructure Victoria chief executive Dr Jonathan Spear cited the fact that a pedestrian struck by a car travelling at 50km/h has an 85 per cent chance of dying. However, at 30km/h, the risk drops to 10 per cent, he said. According to Transport Accident Commission data, 48 pedestrians and 12 cyclists lost their lives in road accidents in the state last year — grim figures mirrored all over the country. Older people continue to face a higher risk of fatal traffic accidents, while road trauma remains a leading cause of death for children aged one to 14. Slowing down traffic can reduce stop-and-go driving, which in turn minimises fuel consumption and emissions. It also ensures vehicles move at a steady, consistent pace, making the journey safer and reducing wear and tear on both vehicles and road infrastructure. While it may seem counterproductive, Johnston pointed out that this approach actually leads to faster travel times overall. "When you look at the difference in travel times, it's usually only a matter of seconds—something that isn't consequential, but it feels counterintuitive, so people don't realise the benefits," she said. Johnston emphasised that across the country, people of all ages walk to school, parks, shops, and bike to work, creating a mix of traffic. In these areas, it's essential to prioritise safety for everyone, not just drivers. "We've built our system on cars," she said. "In new suburbs, roads are the first thing to be constructed — if you're lucky, there might be footpaths, but rarely bike paths, bus stops, or train stations. We design for cars, and that's what we need to stop doing, because we don't only and always travel in them." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Car brands 'saving a few dollars' leave Aussie drivers at risk: 'Not acceptable'
Vehicle safety standards are slipping in Australia, falling far behind our European counterparts when it comes innovative technology advancements that have not only been proven to save lives, but have already been in place for many years. While we are making some progress, in order to combat the soaring number of fatalities taking place on our roads, drastic measures are urgently needed, including among both vehicle manufacturers and government divisions. Dr Ingrid Johnston, CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), said Australia "used to be a leader" in this space, but in recent years, has trailed behind many other developed countries. Speaking to Yahoo, she said we can do much better and called for authorities to "catch up". "Vehicle safety standards (known as the Australian Design Rules) are falling well behind the highest in the world, which is Europe," she said. "And what that means is that we have vehicles which are legally allowed for sale in this country that get a zero safety star rating. "In fact, we've had a model that arrived in our country having had safety features removed, because they're not required here. So you might think that you've got an identical vehicles to what's being sold in Europe, but the Australian version is going to have had safety features removed. It's just not acceptable." When it comes to advanced technology in the Northern Hemisphere, there's a whole range of initiatives that can easily be implemented on home soil, Johnston said. "There's a lot that Europe is doing that we are nowhere near talking about," she said. "Europe, for many, many years, has had what they termed eCall — which means if your vehicle is in a crash, it will automatically call the emergency services with a geo-locator. New Aussie road regulation set to see popular car models scrapped Major change means certain cars are no longer available Millions urged to 'thoughtfully consider' car purchases amid trend "This saves incredibly valuable time in letting the emergency services know that there's a crash they need to attend and letting them know exactly where it is. We could implement that, but we haven't." Similar technology already exists in many smart phone models, meaning it's readily available, but just inadequately used. Not only that, there's also equipment that can detect drowsiness in drivers by monitoring eye movement. "When you're driving your car it will be monitoring if your eyes are maintaining contact with the road the way they should be and whether you're holding the steering wheel properly," Johnston said. "It alerts you if it thinks that your attention is distracted, or it thinks that you might be tired. Again, we don't mandate those things. We just rely on them filtering through from other countries. "But the manufacturers don't always do that. They say it's not mandatory. In Australia, they'd rather save a few dollars and leave it out." Johnston said as other nations push forward with stricter regulations and advanced technology, Australia continues to fall behind. The consequences of this lag are becoming increasingly evident, with road fatalities rising at an alarming rate. The reality is that without urgent action, she said, more lives will be lost unnecessarily. Strengthening vehicle safety standards, enforcing smarter road policies, and ensuring that cutting-edge technology is implemented should not be optional — it should be a national priority. "There's a lot that we could be doing, absolutely, a lot. But there just hasn't been the leadership shown from state and federal governments around the country to make it happen, and there needs to be." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
