Building safer roads through connection and shared knowledge

After completing the 2025 MAIB Road Safety Scholarship through a program at Monash University, Tasmania Police Inspector Justin Lawson and Department of State Growth Policy Officer Emily Studley have brought home practical strategies to help improve Tasmania’s road safety standards. 

The Road Safety Management Leadership Program combined a blended online learning segment with a week-long in-person masterclass.  

The online portion covered contemporary road safety theory, data-driven decision making and the Safe System road safety approach.  

The in-person masterclass explores leadership, stakeholder engagement and communication in depth.  

“It was an extraordinary program and really valuable to us as individuals in our own fields,” Inspector Lawson said.   

“It really focused on adaptive leadership,” Ms Studley said.  

“Road safety is a public health issue, so it is about thinking differently, engaging across disciplines and understanding how to tell our story better.” 

A major takeaway for both participants was the importance of communication and breaking down complex road safety concepts into messages that the community can grasp and act on. 

“It is easy to assume everyone understands the same terminology or background information that we do,” Inspector Lawson said.  

“The program reminded us to step back and take people on the journey, where we started, what has changed and what we are doing now to make a difference.” 

Beyond the classroom the scholarship offered important networking opportunities.  

Participants came from policing, transport departments, road safety agencies and other jurisdictions. 

“The relationships and collaboration that come out of this are the real strength,” Inspector Lawson said.  

“If I need insight from another jurisdiction I now know exactly who to call and it works both ways.” 

Ms Studley said the training helped her bridge the gap between policy and practice.  

“It is easy to get caught in your own area,” she said.  

“But this experience opened my eyes to how much more effective we can be when we work together and how we can communicate those insights to the community.” 

Both participants expressed deep appreciation to Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB) for supporting this scholarship opportunity.  

“This is not something our organisations would normally be able to fund,” Inspector Lawson said.  

“It is a unique opportunity and the value it brings back to our work and to road safety in Tasmania is enormous.”