International award for Road Safety Knowledge Centre

The Road Safety Knowledge Centre has received international acclaim in the form of a 2011 Prince Michael International Road Safety Award (PMIRSA).

The Knowledge Centre is a comprehensive online directory of road safety information and resources. It was developed out of the Road Safety Time Bank, with funding provided by the Department for Transport, and went live in September 2010. The Knowledge Centre is owned and managed by Road Safety GB and financially supported by Colas.

Access to the Knowledge Centre is free of charge and available to all. Currently (19/10/11) there are 2,242 Knowledge Centre subscribers and 374 member organisations, and 1,288 items listed in the Knowledge Centre.

The Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards are organised and managed by RoadSafe. They are presented to individuals, companies or organisations in recognition of their outstanding contribution to improving road safety.

Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, said: “The judges were impressed with the scale, scope and content of the Knowledge Centre and endorsed its importance to underpin the important work of the professionals who are the ones who really make the difference.”

Alan Kennedy, chair of Road Safety GB, said: “The PMIRSA is wonderful news for Road Safety GB and the Knowledge Centre project team.

“Our vision when we set out on the task of creating the Knowledge Centre was to provide one central online resource to make it as easy as possible for road safety professionals to find high quality information about road safety issues and themes. Ultimately, the Knowledge Centre supports road safety professionals in their vital work to reduce road crashes and casualties.

“As well as road safety reports and research, the Knowledge Centre contains excellent examples of road safety publicity campaigns, training and educational initiatives and information about engineering and enforcement.

“Our vision of creating a one stop shop for road safety information is well on the way to being fulfilled, and this award is further independent confirmation of the growing importance of the Knowledge Centre.”

For more information about the Knowledge Centre contact Nick Rawlings on 01379 650112.