May 1, 2015
In 2009, two 18-year-old girls were killed in a head-on crash in the Yarra Valley in Victoria … the ripple effect of their deaths is still being felt today, even as far away as Kingaroy.
The true story formed a key part of this year’s RYDA road safety program presented to Year 11 students in Kingaroy.
The deaths of Genevieve and her best friend Shannon occurred while Genevieve was attempting to overtake another vehicle.
Her car clipped the vehicle and then spun into the path of a 4WD driven by an L-Plate driver on his first trip out with his father.
The deaths of the two girls created a ripple that went throughout their community, hitting their parents, siblings and friends, the other drivers and the emergency workers who attended the scene.
It was a powerful, emotional message aimed at getting the South Burnett’s Year 11 soon-to-be-drivers to think about the crash – they are never “accidents” – and what they would have done in the same situation.
The RYDA workshops are organised by the Kingaroy Rotary Club in conjunction with local police, SES and other volunteers.
This is the sixth year they have been held at the TAFE College in Kingaroy.
The 280 teenagers, from Kingaroy, Murgon and Nanango State High Schools and St Mary’s Catholic College, listened to various talks as well as watching practical demonstrations.
They each attended six workshops:
- Hazards and Distractions
- Speed and Stopping
- Genevieve’s Story
- Personality Test – what you bring with you into the car
- Rights and Responsibilities, and
- After the Crash (a presentation by accident survivor Dennis Greensill who became a paraplegic after a motorbike crash)
The SES closed off Geritz Road in front of the TAFE College so that police could safely demonstrate stopping distances.
Two officers from the Gympie Road Policing Unit demonstrated how far it takes to stop if you are travelling at 40km/h, 50km/h, 60km/h and 80km/h.
The RYDA program was developed by Road Safety Education in conjunction with Rotary Clubs around Australia in response to the large number of young people dying on Australian roads.
Related articles
- Students Get Hands On With Road Safety
- Safety Message Driven Home
- Police Praise SES Efforts
- Important Lessons For Soon-To-Be Drivers
