More than 8,000 students across Western Australia will witness first-hand the consequences of risky driving when RAC, St John Ambulance WA, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, WA Police and Royal Perth Hospital stage this year’s RAC bstreetsmart event tomorrow.
More than 90 schools are registered to attend this year’s event, which over the past seven years has been seen by over 40,000 young Western Australians.
The event involves a re-enactment of a serious car crash and features real-life paramedics, firefighters and police, as well as actors from the Theatrical Response Group, who together demonstrate how WA’s emergency services respond and the impact on those involved.
RAC Executive General Manager Advocacy and Members, Pat Walker, said young drivers were among the State’s most vulnerable and were consistently over-represented in crash statistics.
“RAC bstreetsmart aims to reduce the fatality and injury rates of young people by exposing students to the realities of road trauma and encouraging them to be safer drivers,” Mr Walker said.
“The dramatisation is based on a real incident and follows the journey of three young people from prior to the crash right through to Police having to inform the next of kin.”
Students will also hear from two guest speakers who will share personal stories of how their lives have been impacted by road trauma as a result of poor choices behind the wheel.
Robert Pike, who was involved in a tragic crash which led to the loss of three friends and his legs from below the knees, said RAC bstreetsmart was the most realistic experience people could get to being physically involved in a car crash.
“My story is raw truth of how the attitude of ‘it won't happen to me’ can be the catalyst for death and disability,” Mr Pike said.
“I wish I could go back in time and change the decisions we made that day, I wish I could have my friends back.”
WA Police Force Acting Superintendent Jade Smith said the event was an important opportunity to educate novice drivers about the risks they will encounter on the roads.
“Every day, our officers target behaviours most frequently related to serious and fatal crashes on our roads including speeding, impairment by drugs and alcohol, inattention through mobile phone use and failure to wear a seatbelt,” Acting Superintendent Smith said.
“Receiving an infringement is just one consequence of these driving behaviours. This event gives these young motorists a graphic insight into other potential and tragic consequences of these behaviours – and it’s an important message for our youth to digest.”
Department of Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Operations Lloyd Bailey said emergency services witness firsthand the devastating impacts road trauma has on the community.
“Firefighters and emergency service responders attend thousands of road crashes every year to help free injured or trapped people – these scenes are often very confronting. RAC bstreetsmart is a unique opportunity to drive home to young adults the life changing consequences of driving distracted,” Deputy Commissioner Bailey said.
St John Ambulance WA Metro Ambulance General Manager Phil Martin said the cost of road trauma to the community is enormous.
“Our paramedics and volunteer ambulance officers often have to deal with road accidents where the people injured are quite young,” Mr Martin said.
“Many factors contribute to motor vehicle accidents, but education of drivers, particularly younger drivers, is important as it saves lives.
WA State Director of Trauma Services at Royal Perth Hospital Dr Sudhakar Rao said he far too regularly sees the consequences of risky driving.
“As front line hospital workers, it is always sad to see on-going risk taking behaviour on the roads. One split second wrong decision can have such long-term detrimental outcomes for everyone involved in a motor vehicle accident,” Dr Rao said.
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Media Contact: Rhys Heron 0401 703 719 or media@rac.com.au
