A packed auditorium gathered as parents brought their young drivers to Beaudesert State High School for the first Young Driver Education Night.
Organised by Beaudesert Rotary and sponsored by Bendigo Bank, the evening featured a presentation by retired Australian Motor Sport racing driver and television broadcaster, Mark Larkham.
See photos at end of story
Larkham gave tips on safe driving techniques, but reiterated the importance of speaking up when in a car with an unsafe driver.
“Statistically, young male drivers are more prone to speeding,” he said.
“Girls, you’ve got to man up sometimes and tell him to slow down.”
Emergency services personnel told the crowd what it was like for them to attend crashes, especially when they know the people involved.
They emphasised the importance of young drivers limiting distractions while they are driving, especially phone use.
One of the most impacting presentations was by Norm Graham, who lost his son, Jared in a car crash at the age of 19. Jared would be 41 today.
Travis Dean and Flynn Harris-Dean said the evening changed their view of driving and crashes.
Flynn Harris-Dean is on his learner’s permit and was having his first professional driving lesson the following day.
“Now I’m scared to touch my phone when I’m driving,” said Flynn.
