May 2, 2014
Our roads could become just that little but safer after more than 300 Year 11 students from across the South Burnett were put through the annual RYDA program at the Kingaroy TAFE college this week.
The RYDA workshops, organised by the Kingaroy Rotary Club, were held on Wednesday and Thursday.
The program was developed by Road Safety Education Ltd (a not-for-profit company) in conjunction with Rotary Clubs around Australia in response to the tragic loss of young people in road crashes.
Students from Kingaroy, Nanango and Murgon State High Schools and St Mary’s Catholic College took part in the program.
They each attended six workshops:
- Hazards, Distractions and Risks
- Stopping Distances
- Road Choices
- “Plan B” (alcohol, prescription and non-prescription medication)
- My Wheels (car safety), and
- Crash Survivor (a presentation by accident survivor Dennis Greensill who became a paraplegic after a motorbike crash)
Police from the Road Policing Unit demonstrated stopping at 40km/h, 60km/h and 80km/h, comparing stopping distances.
SES volunteers cordoned off Geritz Road to allow the demonstrations to take place.
Officer-in-Charge of Kingaroy Police Senior Sergeant Duane Frank said the RYDA program was all about road safety.
He said nearly 5000 people had been injured on Queensland roads since the start of the year as well as 70 killed.
Snr Sgt Frank said about 1000 young people had gone through the RYDA program since it began in the South Burnett five years ago.
These drivers were on the road now and hopefully were safer drivers.
“Statistics tell us that younger drivers are at greater risk of having a crash,” he said.
“As well as the emotional cost of a crash, there is also a social cost. Millions of dollars are spent on insurance costs, property damage, hospital costs, rehabilitation, medical treatment, emergency services costs … this is money that could be better spent on other community assets.”
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