Driving change with Zoey

Zoey, a passionate young graphic designer, recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the Third World Youth Assembly for Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco. As an advocate for youth in road safety, she was eager to give young Australians a voice on the global stage by presenting to young delegates from around the world about her experience with developing road safety behaviour change campaigns.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to represent young Australians, making sure we are involved in the conversation and have a voice in road safety. I am not an urban planner or civil engineer, but as a graphic designer, I bring a different perspective. I can contribute by designing and illustrating road safety campaigns that engage and educate people in a unique way."

How did Zoey become a delegate?

Zoey’s involvement in the assembly was thanks to Re:act, an organisation that empowers young people to create impactful road safety campaigns. Her journey to Morocco was made possible by RAC Ignite, which funded her travel to support young Western Australians in leadership and advocacy.

"Re:act works with design communication students to develop campaigns aimed at 17 to 25 year olds, our own peers, raising awareness and changing behaviours in an age group that is overrepresented in road trauma. The program was invited to present at the World Youth Assembly on behaviour change campaigns, and Andrew Hardwick, Re:act’s founder and executive director, asked me to attend as a delegate."

In 2023, Zoey created a campaign on “Safer Vehicles” which was selected as the North Metropolitan TAFE winner and was launched to the public. Zoey was an exceptional delegate, and she proudly shared insights from her work, helping raise awareness about the importance of vehicle safety.

Where did you go?

Zoey was joined by two other young Australian delegates, Lexi from Melbourne and Tom from Sydney, alongside Andrew. The assembly welcomed over 200 young leaders from around the world, providing a platform to share experiences, discuss challenges and launch the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety.

"It was an eye-opening experience. We had the chance to speak directly with policymakers, share our stories and discuss the road safety challenges we face back home."

 

 

What were your key takeaways?

One of the most impactful moments for Zoey was realising that road safety is not just about safer roads, it is about shaping our communities and the environments we live in, so people can enjoy their neighbourhoods, and move about safely.

"Many young people think of road safety as just cars and seatbelts, but it is so much more than that. It is about our daily lives, like why some people do not catch public transport because the walk to the bus stop is unsafe or has no shade."

Zoey also highlighted the importance of road safety education in schools, and that students would benefit from learning how to stay safe if they are involved in a crash and what they can do to stay safe whilst waiting for emergency responders.

"As a designer, I started thinking about road safety differently. What if we approached public spaces like UX designers approach apps? We need to make streets and transport systems more intuitive, accessible and engaging."

Was there something that surprised you the most?

The conference also shed light on global road safety disparities.

"Hearing about challenges in other countries was eye-opening. In Indonesia, children as young as 10 to 13 ride mopeds to school because there is no safe public transport or footpaths. Many countries still struggle with basic road safety, lacking pedestrian crossings, sidewalks and safe cycling infrastructure."

Despite these differences, common issues that are also present in Australia, emerged such as the increasing use of e-scooters, speeding and distracted driving, showing that road safety is a universal concern.

Another fact that shocked Zoey was how car safety features have historically been designed for the male body.

"Crash tests have traditionally used male dummies, which means women face a higher risk of injury in accidents. Women are more likely to suffer serious head, neck and chest injuries because airbags and seatbelts are not optimised for their body structure. It is something that needs to change."

Who did you get to meet?

One of the most memorable moments for Zoey was meeting young road safety advocates from around the world.

"I met incredible people from the US, South Africa, Mongolia, Mexico and more. Many had personal experiences with road trauma, having lost loved ones. One story that really moved me was from Jeffery Leandro from Peru. He lost his girlfriend Cecilia in a cycling accident and started the ‘Pedal Safely’ project to advocate for better cycling infrastructure. His passion and determination was truly inspiring."

 

 

How can WA improve road safety?

Zoey believes WA can learn from global best practices and prioritise safety for people who walk and ride bikes.

"We need better pedestrian crossings, bike lanes and safer routes in high-traffic areas. One concept that stood out to me was ‘Complete Streets’, which was introduced to me by Bruno Batista from Brazil. It is about designing streets that prioritise all road users, pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and public transport users."

She pointed to Roe Street in Perth’s Chinatown as an example of this in action, with protected bike lanes, wider footpaths and islands in the middle of the street to create safer and more liveable urban space. She also praised WA’s Summer of Free Public Transport and free travel every Sunday for SmartRider users, which encourages people to use public transport and reduces traffic congestion. 

Final thoughts

Zoey left the assembly with a renewed passion for making roads safer through design, education and policy change.

"This experience reinforced that young people deserve a seat at the table when it comes to road safety. Our perspectives are valuable, and we have innovative ideas to bring to the conversation. Road safety is not just about the roads, it is about the people using them."

With advocates like Zoey leading the charge, the future of road safety looks brighter than ever.

RAC Ignite is proud to support the Re:act program, helping empower the next generation of road safety advocates. As part of our involvement, we provide a representative on the WA judging panel who offers expert guidance to support the 2025 participants in developing impactful campaigns targeting young drivers.

Stay tuned for the results of the 2025 WA program!