Bunbury high school students will learn the realities of unsafe driving during RAC Project Road Smart on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 February.
RAC Project Road Smart showcases a filmed re-enactment of a fatal crash, demonstrating how emergency services respond to road trauma, and giving students a confronting wake-up call.
Students will hear from guest speakers who have been directly affected by road trauma as well as representatives from emergency services who deal with serious road crashes on WA roads every day.
RAC Senior Manager Communications, Rhys Heron, said early education was crucial in helping young people to fully appreciate their responsibilities behind the wheel.
“Young, inexperienced drivers are at much greater risk of making mistakes on the roads,” Mr Heron said.
“RAC Project Road Smart highlights the confronting realities of road trauma and ignites conversations between friends and families about safer driving.”
The event has received over 1,600 registrations from 17 schools across the two event days at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre.
Guest speaker Robert Pike, who was involved in a tragic crash which led to the loss of three friends and the loss of his legs from below the knees, will share his personal experience with the students.
“I was the same age as these students with a mindset of ‘it would never happen to me.’ We were speeding, and we weren’t driving to the weather conditions,” Mr Pike said.
“For change to happen, students need to see the consequences and not just hear about them."
“I hope my story has a heavy impact on our next generation of drivers and inspires them to create safe, lasting habits behind the wheel.”
Students will also hear from guest speaker, Julian Pace, CEO and Founder at Happiness Co. about empowering the individual to overcome peer pressure and the impact of the decisions they make behind the wheel, and in everyday life.
“By instilling a safety-first mindset in our future drivers, we’re laying the foundation for safer roads across Western Australia.” Mr Pace said.
Critical Care Paramedic, Allan Newbold, discusses how paramedics manage crash scenes and the emotional toll these incidents can take.
Following the reenactment, students will interact with the guest speakers and emergency services personnel to ask questions and further their knowledge on the impacts of road trauma.
RAC Project Road Smart is a free road safety event for year 10 to 12 students, run by RAC with support from WA Police, Department of Fire and Emergency Services and St John WA.
ENDS
Media contact: Lauren Cherry, 08 9436 4889 or media@rac.com.au
