Road safety advocate wins Regional Safety Award

30 October 2017

New Norcia local Cory Payne has won the Insurance Commission of Western Australia’s Regional Safety Award at the 2017 Western Australian Regional Achievement and Community Awards.

The Insurance Commission has sponsored the Regional Safety Award for three years to promote safe road practices in regional communities which encourages fewer and less serious injuries from motor vehicle crashes, leading to fewer insurance claims incurring lower costs.

Cory Payne was critically injured in a car crash three years ago and spent over three months in hospital and rehabilitation learning to talk and walk again. Since that time, Cory has focused his attentions on educating young people about the importance of road safety, particularly not driving tired.

Cory has raised over $40,000 for charities and speaks at schools and sporting events to tell his story about the effects of driving tired.

“Winning this award will open many doors for me to continue my campaign to raise road safety awareness to young drivers on our country roads,” he said.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through, or any family to go through what my family has gone through.”

Commission Secretary Kane Blackman congratulated Cory on the important work he was carrying out through regional Western Australia.

“Road safety is so important in our regional communities because car crashes are still over-represented in those areas.

“Proportionately, regional motorists lodge more personal injury motor claims than metropolitan motorists,” said Mr Blackman.

“Congratulations to Cory who has used his experience in a catastrophic car crash to educate and spread awareness about the importance of not driving tired.”