The Road Trauma Support Service of Victoria (RTSSV) is a not-for-profit organisation contributing to the safety and well-being of road users. It provides counselling and support to people affected by road trauma.

Bernadette Nugent is the CEO of RTSSV and she is passionate about the work that her organisation does to help anyone impacted by a transportation incident. The services which are delivered by professional counsellors are free of charge, confidential and unlimited in number. The number of counselling sessions is growing exponentially. Last year there were 2050 referrals to the service, mainly by Victoria Police. In addition, there were 2500 counselling sessions which were provided via telephone, face-to-face or within a group.

There are a wide range of clients accessing the service but they are generally made of up either drivers, bereaved persons, victims or witnesses. They use the service because they can be suffering from numerous trauma-related problems including flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, insomnia and lack of concentration and motivation.

The grief that they are experiencing can be categorised as shock, confusion, disbelief, anger, blame, guilt or a combination of these feelings.

In addition to the counselling that RTSSV supplies, it also organises a number of annual events that highlight the effects of road trauma which in turn will make people focus on safety and responsibility on our roads. Some of these events include:

  • Time for Remembering (17th November 2019) - this is a service held at Government House. It gives attendees the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate the lives of loved ones lost on our roads. It is also an opportunity to pay tribute to those agencies and individuals who work tirelessly to reduce the associated trauma and grief.
  • Shine a Light on Road Safety Campaign is a national community program to highlight the services provided by Road Trauma Support Services Victoria (RTSSV) and how we can all play a part in road safety. There are several components to this campaign:
    • Shine a Light Walk (5th May 2019) around Albert Park Lake where participants have the opportunity to talk, cry and laugh together and to unite together in the ambition to make a difference and to ultimately help influence change for Victoria's road users.
    • Illuminations (6th May – 12th May 2019) where landmarks across Australia are illuminated in yellow for road safety.
    • Turn Your Lights On (10th May 2019) where motorists around Australia turn their headlights on to acknowledge the importance of safe driving.