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Summer 2025 Update – “YPC in Quebec: Driving Road Safety Forward Together”

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Another year, another memorable CARSP/ICTCT Road Safety Conference!

The CARSP Young Professionals’ Committee (YPC) is excited to share highlights from yet another successful CARSP/ICTCT Road Safety Conference. This year saw record-breaking participation, with over 45 students and young professionals in attendance, and the majority presenting their work.

One of the biggest highlights took place behind the scenes: a private meeting between the YPC Execs and two senior leaders from Transport Canada—Brigitte Diogo (Associate Deputy Minister) and Melanie Vanstone (Director General, Multi-Modal and Road Safety Programs). During this important dialogue, we followed up on the commitments made in Marrakech this past February (read more) and shared the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety, reinforcing the importance of integrating youth perspectives into national road safety policy.

Caption: CARSP Young Professionals Committee meeting with Transport Canada senior leaders. Pictured: Abanoub Gaber, Robert Mansell, Anne Stewart, Brigitte Diogo, Robert Colonna, Melanie Vanstone, Cameron Mohammadi, & Asma Mamri.

We kicked off the conference with a dedicated meet-and-greet for our 12 mentees and 6 mentors, marking the successful return of the YPC Mentorship Program for its second year.

During the conference, the YPC also hosted an engaging career-focused networking event that brought together 13 road safety professionals from five sectors: municipal/provincial government, academia/postdoctoral research, federal government, industry/consulting, and community/public health. This interactive session provided students and young professionals with a valuable opportunity to connect with leaders in their field and explore diverse career pathways. A huge thank-you to all who participated and shared their experiences!

Caption: CARSP Young Professionals Committee ‘Professions in Road Safety: Discover and Connect’ event.

Following this event, we headed to the ‘Young Professionals & Young at Heart’ networking mixer at Trois Brasseurs. Over 70 attendees came together for an evening of food, drinks, and classic face-to-face networking. A huge thank-you to our sponsor, Western Ergonomics, for making this event—and so much more—possible!

Caption: CARSP Young Professionals Committee ‘Young Professionals & Young at Heart’ networking mixer.

We would also like to extend our congratulations to all of the finalists in this year’s Student Paper and Poster Competitions. We received many submissions, showcasing the incredible research being conducted by students across Canada. A big thank-you to Western Ergonomics again for sponsoring the Student Paper Competition, and to CARSP for sponsoring the Student Poster Competition. Here’s a list of the winners:

Student Paper Competition

  • 1st Place: “Fast to the Scene, Safe to the Finish: A Systematic Review of Driving Performance Evaluation in Emergency Responders” – Jerome Range (accepted on his behalf by Martin Lavallière)
  • 2nd Place: “Développement d’une plateforme d’évaluation permettant l’étude avancée des mécanismes de contrôle visuo-moteurs” – Émilie Bouchard
  • 3rd Place: “Exploring the Eye Movement Behavior Between Drivers With Different Takeover Performance” – Wendy Ding

Student Poster Competition

  • 1st Place: “Evaluating the Safety Effects of Protected Intersections and Bike Boxes at Signalized Intersections in Mixed Traffic Conditions Involving Human-Driven and Automated Vehicles” – Ella Sherafat
  • 2nd Place: “An Observational Roadside Survey of Child Restraint Use and Misuse in Nova Scotia, Canada” – Tanner Van Every
  • 3rd Place: “Safe Accommodation of Vulnerable Road Users at Interchanges” – Cameron Mohammadi

(Photos of the winners below.)

Caption: Finalists of the CARSP Student Paper & Poster competition. Pictured: Robert Colonna, Martin Lavallière (accepted on behalf of Jerome Range), Émilie Bouchard, Wedny Ding, Ella Sherafat, Tanner Van Every & Cameron Mohammadi.

The YPC continues to grow, with over 11 executive members now on board and many others expressing interest in getting involved. If you're a student or young professional who is passionate about road safety and looking to connect with like-minded peers, we’d love to hear from you!

To learn more or express interest in joining, please reach out to us at YPC_Chair@carsp.ca.

Robert Colonna,
Chair, CARSP Young Professionals’ Committee