Road Safety Commission to spend $200,000 on market researcher to ‘deep dive’ into motorists’ behaviour

The Road Safety Commission will spend more than $200,000 on a market researcher to “deep dive” into motorists’ driving behaviour in a desperate attempt to tackle the State’s ghastly five-year-high road toll. The commission last month awarded a $208,604 tender — delivered through the Road Trauma Trust Account — to independent research agency Verian Research to better understand motorists’ “motivations to do the right or wrong thing”. So far, 178 people have died on WA roads in 2025 — the same number as at the same time last year, and 32 more than the same time in 2023. Of this year’s fatalities, 83 were in the Perth metropolitan area and 95 in the regions. Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said the research would mean future road safety campaigns would be more targeted. “The Road Safety Commission has engaged Verian Research to deepen our understanding of why people make particular choices so we can use insights and evidence to positively influence their decision-making,” he told The West Australian. “This evidence change ‘deep dive’ research will help improve the effectiveness of road safety campaigns and programs by ensuring messages are targeted, evidence-based and relevant to different road user groups. “Understanding what drives people’s motivations to do the right, or wrong, thing on our roads helps us design and deliver better road safety policies and programs targeting education campaigns and awareness activities to ensure we reach the right groups with the right messages. “Market research and behavioural profiling are value-for-money investments that provide valuable insights into the attitudes of drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.” WA Police this week pledged a “zero tolerance” policy for careless and dangerous driving, with double demerits kicking off last Friday until midnight on January 4. Road Policing Command commander Mike Peters said officers would focus on a 400km “arc of influence” around Perth, spanning south to Bunbury, east to Merredin and north Lancelin. “We’ll be taking a very zero tolerance approach to speed, impairment, seat belts and distraction, we will continue to enforce those things,” he said this week. “We’re a very informed community and a very informed society, if you don’t understand the impacts of speed, go and jump on Google and have a look.” Road Safety and Police Minister Reece Whitby pleaded with West Australians to drive safely, and said their only priority was to “get you and family safely to your destination and then back home again”. “I know Christmas, it’s a time of joy, a time of a lot of activity, there’ll be people driving on country roads long distances distracted with other thoughts,” he said.