Death and serious injury on our roads are an enormous cost to families and our society as a whole. Many people in Ireland have been affected in some way by road collisions.

For the RSA, our task is a challenging one. Our aim up to 2030, through the Government Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, is to adopt the Vision Zero and Safe Systems approach to road safety across Ireland. This means a 50% targeted reduction in fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 and it is vital that we succeed in delivering our Road Safety Transformation Programme.

To achieve our ambitious targets, we must:

• Implement a public communication strategy for Vision Zero, achieving community engagement and commitment to the road safety agenda across all sectors of society
• Embed the Safe System approach and delivery with key agencies
• Embed an enhanced partnership and transformation delivery model with stakeholders & communities
• Implement, monitor and regularly revisit a targeted action plan
• Focus on serious injuries, not just fatalities, with our interventions
• Bring greater focus on data, benchmarking and performance measurement.

I am confident that with Government support, the strong commitment of staff, and collaboration with stakeholders, we can bring about a change in attitudes and behaviour that will benefit all road users.

Bringing about such a culture change means we must deploy our resources effectively across the Safe System pillars:- safe road users, safe vehicles, safe roads & roadsides, safe work travel, safe speeds, post-crash care, safe & healthy modes.

By doing so, we can make short and long term gains in road safety. We must also continually evaluate our efforts to ensure they are appropriate and effective. RSA focus includes:

• Developing and implementing information and education campaigns
• Improving the quality of driving through raising the standards of driver training
• Improving the quality of vehicles
• Overseeing and helping to enforce the driver licensing system
• Collaborating with our road safety stakeholders to ensure that our combined efforts are harnessed to best effect.

Our main objective is challenging, but simple: Ireland can achieve Vision Zero, and lead other EU member and neighbouring countries to become an exemplar society in road safety.

While confident of success, we are pragmatic and realise that change will take time. Nonetheless, every positive step plays a part along the way.

Finally, as each of us has a part to play in road safety, I ask you to reflect on what you, as a road user, can do today to make our roads safer.

Brendan joined the RSA in August 2022 as Chief Operations Officer (COO). The role of customer operations is to oversee the delivery of the RSA public services including the driving test, driver theory test, driver licensing, NCT, CVRT, enforcement. Our Drivers license services interact of over 1 million people per year and our Vehicle testing and Enforcement ensure that over 2 million vehicles are tested to the required standard annually.

The Director of Research, Standards, and Assurance is accountable for the design and delivery of the research vision and strategy, formation of evidence-based policy and standards as well as the implementation of other strategic initiatives in alignment with the RSA Corporate Plan and Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. 

In addition to building and maintaining relationships across directorates in the Road Safety Authority, the Director of Research, Standards & Assurance will develop and maintain strong working relationships and partnerships with peers within the Department of Transport and other affiliated government agencies and European counterparts.

A key objective of this role in the immediate term will be supporting the RSA during a period of change as it develops the key capabilities needed to successfully deliver against the objectives of the Road Safety Transformation Programme.

The partnerships and external affairs directorate encompasses the key role of raising awareness and providing education through impactful interventions to inform, motivate and support road users to change their daily road safety behaviours. The directorate includes responsibility for communications, campaigns, education and outreach and engagement with the public and with key stakeholders. The directorate recognises that a whole-of-system approach is key to delivering transformational change in Ireland’s road safety and brings a collaborative partnership mindset to empowering all stakeholders to play a role in the delivery of the government’s Road Safety Strategy.

The role of strategy, performance and transformation is to oversee the delivery of the RSA corporate plan and the RSA digital, data and query management strategies. We lead on customer care and deliver a range of supports services to RSA business units including performance and programme delivery, project management, business design, operational excellence and data analytics.

Finance and Corporate Services is an internal support service managing resources for the achievement of the RSA’s strategic and operational goals, ensuring compliance with all governance obligations and improving corporate policies, procedures and outcomes. We lead on all financial matters, corporate governance, risk management, procurement, contract management, legal services, data governance, facility and fleet management, freedom of information and health and safety in the RSA.

Alison Coleman joined the RSA in March 2016 and is based in Ballina Co Mayo.  The People, Development and Culture directorate has responsibility for all strategic and operational HR and People matters including including recruitment, learning, development, wellbeing, internal communications and engagement, industrial and employee relations and HR policy development.  This Directorate plays a key role in organisational development and supports the organisational capability in change competence as well as leading on delivery within our Road Safety Strategy of key objectives as part of Phase 1 action plan in work related vehicle use.

The role of the Technology, Platforms and Solutions directorate is to provide the vision, leadership, and implementation of RSA technology strategies that align with the RSA Corporate Plan and Government’s Road Safety Strategy.  The section is also responsible for maintenance, improvement and support of day-to-day technology operations including, Infrastructure management, Cyber Security, software development, solutions quality assurance (QA), data platform, technical change management, service desk support and management of third party technology supplier contracts & performance.