Professor Kerry Armstrong is the Director of the MAIC/UniSC Road Safety Research Collaboration, based at the University of the Sunshine Coast and has over 25 years’ experience in road safety research and evaluations.
Over the course of her career, Kerry has led and collaborated on major research programs addressing drink and drug driving, fatigue, traffic law enforcement and sanctions, and risk perceptions and deterrence. These projects, undertaken with government, industry, and international research partners, have produced high-quality, policy-relevant outputs that have shaped evidence-based legislation, enforcement strategies, and injury-prevention initiatives across multiple jurisdictions. Kerry’s research has been instrumental in translating research evidence into practice, influencing system-wide approaches to reducing serious injuries and fatalities.
Beyond the university sector, she has held senior roles in government where she was responsible for designing and overseeing Queensland’s state-wide road safety research and evaluation program. In this capacity, she led data driven, high-impact initiatives aligned with Australia’s Vision Zero strategy, further strengthening the integration of research evidence into strategic policy and operational decision-making.
Awards
- QUT Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellowship 2016-2018
Professional Memberships
- Registered Psychologist - Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
- Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- Member of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS)
Research areas
- Road Safety & Injury Prevention
- Impaired Driving
- Fatigue & Sleepiness
- Women's Health & Road Safety/Injury Prevention
Recent Publications
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Love, S., Kannis-Dymand, L., & Armstrong, K. (2024). Development and validation of a Disorganised Thoughts Scale: A new measure to assess thinking difficulties in the general population. BMC Psychology, 12 (1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01988-z
- Love, S., Koppel, S., & Armstrong, K. (2024). Problematic substance use and implications for road safety: An investigation on psychological dysfunction and risky driving styles. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 104, 42-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2024.05.011
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Love, S., Rowland, B., & Armstrong, K. (2024). Is cannabis a slippery slope? Associations between psychological dysfunctioning, other substance use, and impaired driving, in a sample of active cannabis users. PLoS One, 19(10), e0310958. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310958
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Love, S., Unger, P., Rowland, B. & Armstrong, K. (2024). Is cannabis associated with more than just driving impairment? An investigation into the psychological dysfunctioning and driving behaviours of active cannabis users. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 107, 1162-1174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2024.11.010
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Choden, P., Armstrong, K., & Sendall, M. C. (2022). Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Bhutan: Understanding Women’s Responses to IPV Using the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(19–20), NP18238–NP18265. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211035878
Professor Kerry Armstrong's specialist areas of knowledge include road safety, impaired driving, drink driving, drug driving, fatigue, traffic law enforcement and associated penalties, and unlicensed driving.