Keeping young people safe on roads is important to every parent.
Youth and Community Centre (YACC) hosted a Youth Road Safety Night at McAuley College on November 11 to educate learner drivers about staying safe on the roads.
Sergeant Jason Robertson presented the program DRIVING? What are the consequences? that he initially helped create when he worked at Mackay after 17 high school students were killed from road crashes in 18 months.
He has been in Beaudesert for two years and felt privileged to be able to share this presentation with the youth in this town.
“I’ve been lucky with the previous program to be able to see the difference that you can make by giving some facts, finally dispose of some of the myths around driving and trying to get rid of those perceptions that police are out to get them or that rules are unfair,” Jason said.
“It really is a privileged to be able to speak to people and hopefully change their behaviours and attitudes towards driving.”
Cheyanne Streeter will receive her learner permit next year and found the night to be very beneficial.
“I feel like I’ve learnt more about the road rules. I thought that I maybe would know a little bit because my dad is a truck driver, but it’s good to learn things, especially about the road,” she said.
“I was open to hearing the perspectives because people need to hear what happens – they can’t sugarcoat it.
“If they do sugarcoat it, there’s really no point in coming tonight because that’s not real life, it’s not the truth, and you need to have that, especially with life and death,” Cheyanne added.
Other guest speakers, included Beaudesert Police Senior Sergeant Ken Murray, Highway Patrol Logan Sergeant Jason Robertson, Queensland Ambulance Service Officer Tom Cheevers and Road Safety Advocate Norm Graham.
Norm spoke about his son Jared, who died in a car crash and the effect this had on the family.
The event ended with a demonstration by Queensland Fire and Rescue of how they handle a vehicle that has suffered damages from an accident.
Although two lucky winners left with free driving lessons, everyone who attended left with something to think about.
