Founder and President of Safer Australian Roads And Highways (SARAH), Peter Frazer, has been honoured with the region’s premier road safety Award, the 2021 Australasian College of Road Safety Fellowship, for his outstanding road safety advocacy across a lost Decade of Birthdays – those 10 missed birthdays since his beautiful daughter Sarah Frazer was killed in a completely avoidable road crash in February 2012. She was just 23 years old.
Sarah Frazer
Aged 23 years, 2012
Peter says, ‘This moment really is incredibly bittersweet. Last week would have been Sarah’s 33rd birthday, the 10th our family has marked as we travel forward through life without Sarah by our side.’
‘I am deeply honoured to receive this award, marking both a refreshed Decade of Action for Road Safety as well as a Decade Without Sarah. To stand alongside some of our world’s most eminent road safety leaders, many of whom I am now fortunate to call both colleagues and friends, truly astounds me – I am deeply honoured. Their work, and the work of so many SARAH partners, has kept the passion burning within me to save others from never-ending ripple effects that continue to impact our family so deeply.’
Mr Peter Frazer
President
Safer Australian Roads And Highways –Â SARAH
Following the death of Sarah in 2012, Peter established the Safer Australian Roads and Highways Foundation (SARAH). Peter’s SARAH Group founded Australia’s National Road Safety Week, an annual event that is now supported by hundreds of organisations and tens of thousands of community members across Australia, with the SARAH Yellow Ribbon now synonymous with the event. 2021 National Road Safety Week has grown to have an amazing potential reach of over 17 million people across all media.
Advocacy from the SARAH Group has been instrumental in the implementation of Sarah’s Rule legislation, which significantly improves the safety of vulnerable roadside workers including tow truck operators, breakdown assistance workers, and emergency service workers.
During the online Awards Ceremony which was watched by around 100 participants, Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Hon Scott Buchholz MP, congratulated Peter for his outstanding leadership and drive to improve road safety. In addition, ACRS commended Peter’s work, including the establishment of SARAH and National Road Safety Week, and the implementation of Sarah’s Rule.
Chair of Australia’s Joint Select Committee on Road Safety, Hon Darren Chester MP, said, ‘Peter’s dedication and passion for road safety is saving lives and injuries. He has had the courage to turn his family’s personal adversity into a mission to help prevent others from experiencing the same loss. In my position, I greatly respect Peter’s advice on road safety policy initiatives that could make a difference.’
Above l-r:
Hon Darren Chester MPÂ & Hon Llew O-Brien MP
Fellow federal politician and stand-out Australian/global road safety ambassador, Hon Llew O’Brien MP, endorsed Darren’s comments, and said: ‘Peter Frazer is a road safety champion, and this award is well-deserved recognition for his dedicated and tireless advocacy. I congratulate Peter on this achievement, and look forward to his continued leadership contributions to ensure we all keep safe on the road.’
Above l-r:
Ms Claire Howe – Advisor-Engagement at SARAH,
His Excellency David Hurley – Governor-General of Australia,
Mr Peter Frazer FACRS, President SARAH
Claire Howe, Engagement Advisor at the SARAH Foundation, added the following message of thanks & congratulations to Peter for all he has done to protect others from a similar experience:
“Peter, the legacy you, Judy, your families and supporters are continuing to build in Sarah’s honour is quite simply amazing.  Your work is ensuring many more families, workplaces, schools, & communities won’t experience the traumatic ripple effects from road trauma – both deaths & serious injuries 💛💛💛”.
Senator Glenn Sterle
Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety
As stated by fellow leading road safety advocate & Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety, Australian Senator Glenn Sterle, ‘Peter’s energy and commitment to road safety and Sarah’s memory is contagious,’ as shown in the widespread uptake of the 2021 National Road Safety Week:
The 2021 National Road Safety Week Report has been published today, and shows the massive reach now obtained by this event across the Australian community.
Peter joins an illustrious list of prior Fellowship Award winners, spanning 30 years of outstanding road safety achievement since the Award’s inception in 1991.
Awarded ACRS Fellows
The SARAH Group joins all those across our global road safety community in commending Peter on such an outstanding achievement, and looks forward to supporting the continuing work of all stakeholders and the entire community to save lives and injuries for many years to come.
Ends.
Contacts:
Mr Peter Frazer: President, SARAH – 0466 968 700
Ms Claire Howe: Advisor – Engagement, SARAH – 0402 418 123
Further Information:
National Road Safety Week Website
2021 National Road Safety Week – Report
2021 National Road Safety Week – Wrap Up Summary
About the SARAH Group
The Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group was established by Peter Frazer after his 23-year-old daughter Sarah was killed in a road crash on the Hume Highway in February 2012.
Sarah’s car had broken down on her way to University and she had pulled into the emergency breakdown lane while waiting for assistance. Tragically, the breakdown lane was not built to the 3 metre Australian standard and while the tow-truck driver was hooking up her car, a passing truck side-swiped the broken-down car killing both Sarah and the tow-truck driver instantly.
About the ACRS Fellowship Award
The prestigious ACRS Fellowship is recognised as the Australasian road safety community’s highest honour, recognising an individual for their outstanding commitment and effectiveness in their efforts to reduce road trauma. The Australasian College of Road Safety first instituted the award of College Fellow in 1991.
Fellows must be acknowledged by colleagues and co-workers as outstanding by virtue of contributions to road safety rather than their position. The contributions must be of such a nature that they have led to substantial growth and improvement in an important institution or organisation, body of knowledge or aspect of thought and practice associated with road safety. The award recipient is presented with a plaque and citation – there is no financial reward – but it is the College’s highest honour.
