From Pitch to Reality: Helping those ‘New to WA’ Navigate our Roads

Meet Chandini Thirumalai, the 2023 RAC Ignite Leadership program winner who turned a personal challenge into a resource for thousands of international students and visitors.

After taking out the top spot in the 2023 Leadership Program, Chandini has been working closely with the RAC Ignite team to transform her winning pitch into a reality. From a disappointing road trip to a fully realised content series, here is how Chandini is driving change for people new to Western Australia.

The spark

Like many great innovations, Chandini’s idea was born from a personal pain point.
In February 2020, Chandini moved from India to Perth to study a Bachelor of Commerce at UWA. Eager to explore her new home, she and a group of friends, fellow international students, set off on a classic "down south" road trip.
However, the trip ended on a sour note. Unfamiliar with the intricacies of WA’s specific road rules, every driver in the group returned home with a speeding fine.

For Chandini, now an Account Manager at Dell Technologies, this wasn't just bad luck; it highlighted a systemic gap.

The problem

Chandini realised that while obtaining an international licence is straightforward, gaining the confidence and knowledge to drive safely on WA roads is not.

With the average legal driving age in many countries being 18, many international students arrive with limited experience behind the wheel. When you combine this with Working Holiday Visa (WHV) holders who are required to complete farm work in regional areas, you have a large demographic navigating unfamiliar, high-speed regional roads.

Chandini identified that this lack of local knowledge was a massive risk, not just for the visitors, but for all road users. 

The pitch

The RAC Ignite Leadership Program challenges participants to identify a pressing community issue and develop an innovative solution. Drawing on her own recent experiences navigating WA's roads, Chandini brought a specific, burning problem to the table: the lack of accessible road safety knowledge for international drivers.

Her winning pitch proposed an educational extension to the existing RAC Go App. She envisioned a feature including WA road safety advice, quizzes to test road knowledge, and driving tips sourced directly from locals in regional areas.

The judges saw the potential impact immediately, awarding her the 2023 title.

The evolution

Winning the competition gave Chandini the platform to develop her idea further. Working alongside RAC experts, she began the process of turning the concept into a live product.

During the development phase, the team conducted a targeted survey, distributed to international students through Study Perth and Campus Perth, to refine the key pain points and understand their views on transport in WA. This research helped the team look at the most effective way to reach the target audience: tourists, students, and WHV holders. While the initial pitch was app-based, the collaboration revealed that an accessible digital content series would offer the fastest and most direct way to get this vital information into the hands of young drivers.

By pivoting the delivery method while keeping the core mission alive, Chandini and RAC Ignite developed the 'New to WA' series.

The outcome

Today, Chandini’s vision is live and actively helping drivers stay safe.

Her work has culminated in a dedicated 'How to get around in WA' hub on the RAC website, serving as a one-stop shop for anyone new to the state. The initiative also lives as an engaging social media series on the RAC Ignite Instagram account, meeting young drivers exactly where they spend their time online. To ensure the advice is easy to access and refer back to, the entire series has been compiled into a dedicated Story Highlight on the Ignite Instagram profile.

The content covers everything from catching public transport to unique road rules, fulfilling Chandini’s original promise of empowering international drivers to explore WA safely.

Check out the new hub here: How to get around in WA

Ready for the Challenge?

Chandini’s journey is proof that innovative ideas developed during the RAC Ignite Leadership Program can drive tangible change across Western Australia. If you are an aspiring young leader ready to tackle a pressing community issue and see your idea come to life, join us in the next program.

Applications for the 2026 RAC Ignite Leadership Program are opening soon. Register your expression of interest today!

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