Road Safety Week – our road safety hero

9–15 May 2022 is Road Safety Week and this year's theme is Road Safety Heroes. But not all superheroes wear capes and this week we profile ViaStrada Director and Senior Transportation Engineer Glen Koorey.

Glen has been passionately involved in road safety for over 25 years; his PhD was even on the topic of rural highway safety. Over the years he has been involved with safety-related projects all the way from central government policy and guidance through to local safety investigations, designs and audits.

The safety effects of speed management and active mode facilities are key areas of focus for Glen. Particularly as part of his previous academic role at the University of Canterbury, he has travelled extensively to study overseas best practices in these areas, and he continues to maintain regular contact and collaborate with other key international research experts on these topics.

Some of the more interesting safety projects Glen has been involved with include:

• Looking into the safety implications of changing various NZ road rules for walking and cycling
• Investigating red-light running behaviour in Christchurch and possible mitigations
• Reviewing in-depth the extent, nature and causes of serious harm to people in Auckland travelling by motorbike, foot, cycle, and other small-wheeled devices.
• Developing quick-win crossing and parking safety measures for the Dunedin Central schools cluster
• Preparing a district-wide speed management plan, GIS map, and implementation programme for Taupō

Glen is also formally trained in road safety audits and Safe System Assessments, both of which he has undertaken many. He has also taught road safety topics to countless numbers of students at Canterbury University and continues to deliver guest lectures in these areas.