The search is on for road safety inventors

Inventors of devices aimed at making the nation's roads safer are invited to be part of the 2004 Australian Road Safety Inventors Forum to be held in Brisbane next May.

The biennial forum is an initiative of the Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety-Queeensland (CARRS-Q) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and is designed to spotlight new and proposed patented inventions in road safety.

"Australian inventors have a long history of developing original ideas and using advanced technology for inventions," CARRS-Q chairman Dr Graham Hughes said.

"Through this forum, we hope to stimulate creative people to think about innovations to reduce the road toll."

Dr Hughes said the forum is expected to attract inventors in such areas as product and vehicle design, civil construction, and driving and signal systems in the areas of transport and road safety.

"We are looking for inventions like front and side airbags, seat belts, bumper bars, red light cameras and audible, painted warning road surfaces that improve road safety.

"We want inventors to come forward to showcase their inventions and take the opportunity to talk to road safety and other experts who may help to progress their ideas commercially."

The forum, which will be open to the public, will be held at the Gardens Theatre, QUT's city campus on 5 May next year.