The National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) offers a collaborative network to support Australian businesses in developing a positive road safety culture. It’s about saving lives without the red tape. It supports organisations to reduce road trauma through knowledge-sharing, evidence-based strategies, and peer-to-peer learning. Today, over 150 partner organisations are part of NRSPP, including major brands such as BHP, Optus, Toll, Transurban and Nestlé. With a firm focus on practical resources, peer learning and sector-wide collaboration, the NRSPP continues to play a vital role in driving down work-related road trauma across Australia.
Major projects
In 2025, the NRSPP achieved its 10+1 year milestone, and celebrated with the release of its new website, logo and updated partnership tier model. The Vehicle Safety Research Group (VSRG) website was updated to reflect the updated outputs from the longstanding research program.
Another key achievement was a new partnership with Safeteams to offer members and users a better way to run Toolbox Talks, providing safety content and inductions in a streamlined process. With 33 new Toolbox Talks packages added in 2025, the NRSPP now provides 85 packages within the platform. A further 13 of the most-downloaded Heavy Vehicle Toolbox Talks were translated into simplified Chinese, Arabic and Punjabi, and will officially be released as part of Truck Week 2026.
The NRSPP released the NTARC 2025 Major Incident Investigation Report, which unpacked trends in heavy vehicle incidents across Australia. As part of the NRSPP's program of work, and delivered in partnership with MUARC and NTI, NTARC plays a critical role in advancing safety across three national priority areas. NTARC commenced the release of Australia’s first nationally consistent heavy vehicle driver educational guidance on steep descents, which assists drivers in safely navigating the top 10 hills across the country. The release of the guidance for the South Eastern Freeway entrance into Adelaide received more than 20,000 views within three months.
Team milestones
The year’s organisational road safety campaign, It’s Not Natural to Tailgate encouraged drivers to reflect on their habits and better understand safe following distances in various road conditions. The campaign was grounded in evidence-based research, drawing from a wide range of relevant literature, and inspired by nature, the campaign highlighted how tailgating goes against the instinctive behaviours seen in the animal kingdom.
The NRSPP hosted 12 webinars over the year, with over 1500 registered attendees, showing the reach and impact of online offerings. Other highlights include supporting the development and release of the annual VSRG Used Car Safety Ratings, a key consumer guide for fleet and personal vehicle safety in Australia and New Zealand.
Impact
Collaboration remains central to the NRSPP’s model - the Heavy Vehicle and Light Vehicle Toolbox Talk Working Groups brought together partners from some of the largest corporations in Australia, government, local councils, and the energy sector. The NRSPP is included in the Grey Fleet Working Group and the Retail and Grocery Safety Forum (run in partnership with EY), and the Utilities forum in Sydney, and uniting stakeholders from banking, healthcare, and supermarkets across Australia and New Zealand.
Funding partners
NRSPP’s core funding comes from five public sector organisations across Australia that are involved in transport safety and road regulation. Special project funding comes from Commonwealth grants and Australian organisations as well as generous in-kind support from its broad network of industry partners.
Led by Director Jerome Carslake, an expert in workplace road safety and program delivery, the NRSPP is a small, nimble, and agile team. Ensuring strong ties to the rigours of its university partnership, the Program is overseen by Academic Lead, Associate Professor Sjaan Koppel. While the program includes organisations that may otherwise be competitors, partners recognise that sharing knowledge and insights can improve safety outcomes across the industry. Road safety is simply good business - it pays its way in the long term.