RAC General Manager Corporate Affairs, Will Golsby, said it was important to work with the community to reduce the number of road fatalities and serious injuries in the region by promoting road safety messages.
“Last year, drivers aged 17 to 24 accounted for 21 per cent of fatalities despite only making up 11 per cent of the population. Tragically, there have already been 51 fatalities on regional roads this year,” Mr Golsby said.
“The continued loss of lives and serious injuries on WA roads shows how vital it is to educate students from an early age about staying safe as a pedestrian, passenger and driver.”
This is the first time the Community Education team will visit primary school students in the Pilbara to teach them about safety measures like bicycle helmets and seatbelts.
Secondary students learn about the importance of being a responsible passenger and the effects of alcohol, speed and reckless behaviour.
RAC’s most recent young driver survey showed despite 91 per cent of respondents thinking driving while reading or sending a text message is very risky, more than half of them admitted to doing so.
“The results of our survey show that while young drivers recognise risky behaviour on the roads, many still engage in these dangerous activities while driving,” Mr Golsby said.
“This shows a false belief that bad things can happen on the roads, just not to them.
“We want to ensure the next generation of drivers has a good understanding of road safety and the consequences of bad decisions.”
During their trip, RAC’s Community Education team will visit Newman Senior High School, Tom Price District High School, St Luke’s College, Karratha Senior High School, Yandeyarra Remote Community College, Port Hedland Senior High School, Port Hedland Primary School, St Paul’s Primary School, Tom Price Primary School and Newman Primary School.
The presentations combine visual, factual and interactive learning activities in a road safety workshop.
RAC’s Community Education team travels across regional WA each year and has delivered road safety messages to more than 500,000 students since 2002.
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