Emeritus Professor Barry Watson appointed as Chair of the Global Road Safety Partnership

The GRSP is delighted to announce that Emeritus Professor Barry Watson has been elected Chair of the Global Road Safety Partnership during the annual Steering Committee meeting that took place on June 17.

Barry is a global road safety expert affiliated with the Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. Barry has over 40 years’ experience in the road safety field working for government, academic and civil society organizations.

As a founding member of CARRS-Q, he has undertaken research into a wide range of road safety issues and been involved in the development and delivery of courses in road safety and traffic psychology for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. From 2008 and 2015, he was the Director of CARRS-Q and responsible for the overall operation of the Centre.

Between 2015 and early 2017, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the GRSP, responsible for the overall strategic direction of the organization and the management of its activities globally.

Barry is an Honorary Fellow of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) and a member of the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs & Traffic Safety (ICADTS), and a former Independent Chair of the Australian National Road Safety Partnership.

In accepting the role Barry said: “I am delighted to become the Chair of the GRSP. Over the last 25 years, GRSP has made a unique contribution to global road safety by bringing together government, business and civil society organizations to tackle road trauma at the local level. The many capacity-building activities undertaken by GRSP have enhanced road safety capability in numerous cities and countries around the world. I look forward to working with the GRSP team and its members to build on and extend these efforts, in order to contribute to the achievement of our ambitious global road safety targets.”.

“We are extremely pleased that Barry has agreed to take on the role of Chair of GRSP,” commented David Cliff, the Chief Executive Officer of the GRSP. “With his deep knowledge of global road safety issues, his previous experience as GRSP’s CEO, and his recent role as Vice Chair, Barry brings a thorough understanding of the complexities involved in advancing road safety worldwide. I am very much looking forward to working with him in the years ahead.”.