UN-award winning road safety program marks 10 years of educating young people with Re:act Amplify launch
The Re:act road safety behaviour change program marked its 10th year of educating young people about road safety with the launch of Re:act Amplify month today. In its second year, Re:act Amplify features 2025’s peer-to-peer campaigns designed by and for 17-25 year old road users.
Running nationally across Australia from Monday, the campaigns were created by design communication students to educate their peers about the importance of wearing seatbelts on every trip, and of wearing seatbelts correctly, as a driver or passenger.
Re:act Amplify promotes government and industry listening to young people’s perspectives on road safety. In addition to campaign launches, it features a program of events across August including industry webinars, education packs on seatbelt use, the national ‘Deep Dive’ on August 15, and a documentary giving voice to young regional Australians to highlight the unique challenges they face in road safety.
Since 2016, Re:act has been challenging young people around the world to raise awareness among 17-25 year olds of road safety risks and to change behaviour around road safety topics ranging from mobile phone distraction and fatigue to drink-driving and safer speeds.
Today’s launch follows Re:act earlier this year being invited to present on road safety behaviour change campaign development at the World Youth Assembly and receiving the United Nations Regions Award – Asia Pacific at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference for Road Safety in Morocco.
“It is mind-blowing to think that over the past 10 years, Re:act has grown from a pilot in Melbourne to a global program that has engaged almost 1,600 students and 70 partners across 4 continents, with more than 57 million people around the world having seen campaigns created by young people, ” Re:act Executive Director and Founder Andrew Hardwick said.
“Re:act’s achievements and longevity have been made possible by the dedicated people who form a community around the program and its vision of giving young people a voice in road safety, the sustained commitment of our education, program and media partners, and the talent and creativity of participating students.
“We thank each of them for their commitment to Re:act and their contribution to reducing road trauma among a group over-represented in road toll statistics the world over.”
Michael Cali, Group Director – Road, Street and Rail at Re:act program foundation media partner oOh!media, said: "By empowering young people to turn creativity into action, the road safety program reaches and inspires its peers. As Australia’s largest Out of Home company, we’re proud to support Re:act by giving each message a voice in public spaces, where it can influence behaviour and help build safer communities.”
Liz Waller, Head of Road Safety at foundation program partner Transurban said: “Road safety is at the core of everything we do at Transurban. We’ve proudly partnered with Re:act since 2016 to give students a real-world opportunity to launch their design careers while tackling the critical issue of road safety.
“Over the past decade the program has delivered outstanding creative campaigns, and we’re proud to now count many of these students as passionate road safety advocates.”
TAC, who has supported the Re:act program since it began in 2016, added: “The TAC is proud to have contributed to the Re:act program, which enables students to engage their peers on vital road safety issues,” Project Coordinator – Road User Safety Merna Alqas-Elyas said.
National Road Safety Partnership Program Director Jerome Carslake said “NRSPP is proud to have been part of Re:act since its inception and to have seen how it has dramatically impacted so many young lives.
“The ingenious approach not only shares a message designed for young people by young people but a whole cohort of design students start their own road safety journey in developing their unique messaging. With what Re:act has already accomplished , we look forward to seeing what the next decade will bring.”
Re:act campaigns created by University students will run across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in August and campaigns created by TAFE students will run in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide in September. Regional campaigns will launch in November. For further information and HiRes images, please contact andrew@reactforchange.org.
Visit reactforchange.org to learn more about the Re:act program
