The Australian innovation making roads safer globally

Founded in 2018, Acusensus is an ASX-listed road safety tech company. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve road safety by detecting dangerous driving behaviours. 

Road traffic accidents cause 50 million injuries and 1.3 million deaths globally each year. They are the leading cause of death for people aged between 5 and 29 years old. In 2023, there were more than 22,000 road fatalities across Europe and the UK.

Most of those fatalities involve one or more of the ‘fatal 5’:

• speeding
• distracted driving
• driving without a seatbelt
• driving while on alcohol or drugs
• driving while fatigued.

Acusensus uses advanced AI software to automatically identify drivers who are using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt, or speeding. Currently, Acusensus can address 3 of the fatal 5. The goal is to address them all. 

With more than half of Australian states and territories now using Acusensus technology to prevent road trauma, the company is expanding its efforts globally. 

Driving to a safer future in the United Kingdom

In 2022, Acusensus opened a UK subsidiary. Over the next 3 years, the company worked with 19 out of the 43 police forces across the UK to trial its technology.

In 2024, one of those pilots led to a long-term contract with the Devon & Cornwall police, marking the UK’s first long-term mobile phone and seatbelt detection program. 

Unmanned mobile safety trailers were set up on the side of roads across the region to monitor both behaviours. The footage was then sent to local police to assess. 

As of September 2025, there has been an 83% reduction in seatbelt offences and an 80% reduction in mobile phone offences since the program began. Acusensus Founder Alexander Jannink says these results are a major milestone for the company. 

‘What matters to Acusensus most is behaviour change,’ he says. ‘The results we’re seeing in Devon and Cornwall show that long-term enforcement with this technology can reduce dangerous driving behaviours. Ultimately, that means saving lives.’

Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon & Cornwall Police, says that the prevention of these behaviours is making an impact. 

‘Working with Acusensus and their pioneering technology around distracted driving and lack of wearing of seatbelts, we have a proactive capability to enforce 2 of the ‘fatal 5’ causes of serious collisions,’ he says.

‘We have exciting plans to work together in the coming months to pioneer the latest iteration of detection capability into the UK.’ 

Acusensus’ technology has helped reduce seatbelt offences by 83% and mobile phone offences by 80% in the Devon and Cornwall region.

Emerging opportunities in Europe

With operations in the UK well underway, Acusensus has its sights set on Europe. The mobile safety trailers which house Acusensus’ AI technology have been manufactured by EBO van Weel in the Netherlands since 2018, providing a valuable European connection. 

René van Weel, Managing Director of EBO van Weel, says the partnership with Acusensus is driven by more than just innovation. 

‘From the first conversations, it was clear that Acusensus and EBO van Weel shared the same ambition: to make traffic safer through innovation,’ he says. ‘Over the years, each of us has contributed our own unique expertise, combining advanced AI enforcement technology with robust and reliable trailer engineering.’ 

‘We’ve been working with EBO since the beginning,’ says Jannink. ‘The Netherlands is centrally located to the most probable markets for us in the EU, so from a logistical standpoint the access is easier.’

Alongside proximity, the pre-existing partnership with EBO van Weel supported the development of a trial in the Netherlands. In 2020, a mobile phone detection pilot was set up in the country, followed by a similar pilot in Belgium. 

After using pilots to identify legislative challenges in Europe, Jannink says the opportunity to land a contract in the EU is growing.

‘Countries in the EU are increasingly recognising the benefits of enforcement and seeking legislative changes to enable the prosecution of distracted driving,’ says Jannink. 

‘Governments understand how technology, such as the Acusensus Heads-Up solution, supports their quest for zero road fatalities by enabling the detection of dangerous behaviours beyond speeding.’

Jannink says it’s important for tech businesses looking to expand into Europe to have a presence on the ground. ‘Working with Austrade helps to build local support networks and gain a deeper understanding of the specific regulatory requirements in individual European markets,’ he says. 

How Austrade helped

Austrade has been a part of the Acusensus journey since day one. ‘Our initial seed funding actually came from an Austrade introduction,’ says Jannink.   

‘The value of those introductions really can’t be understated, especially when you’re looking to move into a new market,’ he says. ‘Beyond initial introductions, Austrade offers vital on-the-ground support that helps us understand the specific regulatory environments of each new market. Having the support of the Australian Government helps us navigate complex procurement cycles and engage directly with key decision-makers.

‘This partnership with Austrade ultimately provides the strategic framework we need to be treated as a local entity, effectively leveling the playing field against established international competitors.’

As Acusensus looks to secure more pilots and contracts in the EU, Austrade is working with the company to promote its solutions to Nordic authorities responsible for road safety. 

‘Austrade is all about taking Australian capability to the world,’ says Austrade’s Trade and Investment Commissioner for the Netherlands, Nordics and Baltics, Catherine Hill.  

‘In working to bring Acusensus’ technology to new markets, it’s not just about economic benefit to Australia, it’s about saving lives in Europe. 

‘This remarkable Australian-developed technology has proven significant impact on road safety. It is saving lives in Australia, and we want to see it save lives all around the world.’