Transport safety
The Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) was established in 1987 and is Australia's largest and most respected transport safety research centre. Our research, consultancy and training include safety across all modes of transport.
Since our founding we have developed research-based solutions that have led directly to making Australians safer and have made us an acknowledged leader in the field. We are committed to the excellence of our research, the independence of our recommendations and the engagement we have with the communities we serve.
We have many clients, across Australia, New Zealand and internationally, and have forged long-term relationships with a number of State Government departments and agencies.
Why road and transport safety is important
In 2024, 1269 people died on Australian roads.1
The WHO Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, and the Victorian Road Safety Strategy call for a reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50% by 2030.
The Australian Federal Government’s National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 targets Vision Zero: eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2050. The Victorian Government’s Road Safety Action Plan emphases using research and data to guide road safety improvements, and reaffirms its commitment to partnering with MUARC to achieve these outcomes.
Research Teams
Our road safety work is conducted by the following research teams:
Behavioural Science
The team applies innovative, transdisciplinary expertise to understand complex human behaviour and develop practical, evidence-based safety solutions. The team translate research into policies and practices that promote safer environments and enhance wellbeing at every level of society.
Human Factors and Sustainable Safety
The team uses a human factors approach to explore the interface between people and technology within complex and dynamic environments, focusing on understanding the system surrounding the individual and the factors that support and constrain safety behaviour.
Injury Analysis and Data
The team uses statistical analysis methodologies to evaluate programs, model safety strategies and analyse the impact of new vehicle fitments.
Mental Health, Impairment and Injury
The team's psychology expertise underpins their research into the factors associated with being injured and subsequent recovery. The team is focused on the use of technology and the adoption of policy and regulations aimed at improving the safety and wellbeing of society.
Traffic Engineering and Vehicle Safety
The TEVS team focuses on work related to the development and evaluation of safe road infrastructure particularly research around intersection design, roadside barriers and vehicle safety.
Regulation and In-Depth Crash Investigation
The team seeks to understand factors associated with crash occurrence and injury severity. By identifying ways to eliminate crashes and ameliorate injury, the team supports regulatory reform and decision-making at state, national and global levels.