The stats are alarming — 26 per cent of road fatalities are P-platers. So what can we do to save young drivers?

"I'm about to take my first solo drive – hopefully I’ll make it through alive,’’ reads Dylan Ettridge’s Facebook status update.

It wasn’t just first-time nerves that made the 18-year old take 15 minutes to work up the courage to drive out of the car park. By starting the ignition of his sister’s car, he was taking a

statistical nosedive.

‘‘I was nervous about being in that demographic . . . of being the most dangerous driver on the road,’’ Ettridge says.

Advertisement: Story continues below L-plate drivers, the world over, are the safest people on the roads, while P-platers are the most at risk and the statistics peak in the first six months of driving.

Drivers aged 17 to 25 make up 14 per cent of licence holders but 26 per cent of road fatalities. Getting a provisional licence requires 120 hours of logged driving practice in NSW and Victoria, but the dramatic over-representation of young drivers in road fatalities raises questions. Are they prepared?

To read the rest of this article go to

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-feature/stepping-up-to-the-plate-20120216-1ta8l.html

A LEADING road safety researcher has declared defensive driver training for young motorists a dangerous and outdated practice, as statistics show younger drivers are over-represented in fatal accidents.

Ian Faulks, a psychologist and leader of the driver test development unit at the former NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, said there was no evidence to prove driver training helped young drivers become safer.

''Teaching on-road crash avoidance skills involving braking and swerving is outmoded and we know it increases subsequent risky driving and subsequent crash involvement,'' Mr Faulks said. ''I would love to see a court case where a provider of 'practical crash avoidance skills' is sued for teaching obsolete and dangerous practices. What we do need to teach is the knowledge of how to recognise a developing situation of risk hazard and the safe driving skills to avoid or minimise that.''

To read more of this article posted in the Sydney Morning Herald 17/2/12 copy and past the link into your browser

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/defensive-driving-risks-steering-the-young-into-danger-20120216-1tbyb.html

 Not a boy racer … Rory Brennan taking part in a defensive driving course at Eastern Creek yesterday. He says it makes him feel more comfortable behind the wheel. Photo: Edwina Pickles

On the 13th of February 2012 ROADwhyz was a proud rrecipiant of a $5000.00 donation from Orica Mining Services Newcastle office as part of their community support/grants program. Natalie Botham Development Account Manager presents Paul Alexander NSW Paramedic with the cheque.

Consequences recalled - By Mara Pattison-Sowden - 17th January 2012 02:00:20 AM

The program aims to get young drivers to think about the consequences of their choices. YOUNG drivers will be exposed to the consequences of dangerous driving in a joint emergency services-run program.

Silvan paramedic Jason Callanan has gathered local nurses, doctors, police, and emergency service workers to address young drivers on the graphic reality of dangerous driving.The RoadWhyz program will be run in Badger Creek, where the CFA will show teenagers the crumpled metal a wrecked car can end up as in a crash.

Mr Callanan said he watched a documentary about the New South Wales-based RoadWhyz program on television, which included vision of a double fatality, and decided he wanted to communicate the program to young Victorian drivers.

As a paramedic for 15 years in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria, Mr Callanan said the more the message of safe driving was spread, the more it would be entrenched in the drivers.“We (paramedics) see a lot of really major trauma especially young drivers and especially in the Yarra Ranges,” he said.“It seems to be a hub for road trauma and that's why we're targeting it here.”

Mr Callanan said the program makes young drivers aware of the consequences they take in risk taking behaviour.The Choice and Consequence program seeks to provide information to all participants to help them make wise road user choices.

Mr Callanan said the program had been developed to provide information to young drivers and parents, with the aim of providing the tools, skills and knowledge needed to make positive behaviour choices in their driving. “It encourages participants to ask questions of the experts in a safe and professional environment,” he said.

The program would also contain graphic photographic and DVD footage of road crashes and the results of road trauma to a person. Mr Callanan said the images were incorporated not to frighten or shock participants, rather to bring attention to just what can happen as a result of reckless driving.RoadWhyz is primarily based at students in year 11 and 12, and will be held at 7pm on 23 January at Badger Creek CFA, 102 Badger Creek Road.

Emergency services are asking for a gold coin donation and more information can be found at www.roadwhyz.com.

ROADWhyz Vic will hold it's first presentation at Badger Creek CFA Station on the 23rd Jan 2012, at 7pm. We encourage all drivers and parents to attend this program.

Badger Creek Road, Badger Creek.

Jason Callanan MICA Paramedic - ROADWhyz Vic Facilitator

Copy and paste the link into your browser to see this latest article

http://lilydale-yarra-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/tacking-road-trauma-in-the-yarra-valley/

Tackling road trauma in the Yarra Valley - Education - News - Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader

lilydale-yarra-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au

Jason C Callanan - A SILVAN ambulance officer will draw on every resource he can to educate young drivers...

Dear Michelle, Paul and team of ROADwhyz,

I have watched the 'Sunday night deadly teenage crash ROADwhyz' video Via Youtube. It touched and hit close to home as i am sixteen and have just recently lost my best friend. Shanae Lyall (16 years old) died along with her Brother Troy(21) in a horrific Car accident On the York peninsular South Australia 2km out of Bute. Drinking, and speeding was involved, full car and two out of the 5 people died with all other people in the car seriously injured.

Shanae has been my best friend for the last few years, practically like my sister. The pain of losing her has been enormous, beyond explanation. I wouldnt wish this pain upon anyone, and as you do to, i want to stop this. People dont have to die, people dont have to go through this grief, its unfair and wrong.

No one should ever go through the pain of such a loss especially at this age. Teenagers seem to believe that we are invincible, we have heard it all before. There are commercials, Radio Adds, campaigns, but its just not enough. We can tell its fake, as you state there is a camera man here and over there, its all so unrealistic in our minds. The cold hard truth is not around enough for us to see, it should be included within our L's, it should be included within every single school in Australia. I think that the ROADwhyz program is a wonderful and powerful idea, the episode Via Sunday night was so powerful to me and it impacted thousands of viewers.

I am very interested in your program and i would love to know if your program goes interstate? South Australia, York peninsular, Kadina is going through such a horrific time as of the moment loosing such to beautiful young teenagers. Does ROADwhyz come to SA? How do i go about getting you's to come to our school, or any other program that is as cold and truthful and eye opening as yours?

Thank you so much for your time.

Kind Regards,

Abby Muller.

Hi There,

I wrote this poem long ago, not knowing exactly what I should do with it.

I saw a TV programme outlining your cause and what you do. I thought then, I think

this is where my poem will maybe do some good.

I cannot take full credit for the poem, as it I based it on something I had read in the

70's. Maybe written by someone like me and never recorded anywhere.

I realise it is confronting but if it makes just one person stop and think, then I am quite happy for you to use it

Kind regards

Annie

________________________________________

You had good intentions of not driving your car

You also had good intentions of not entering that last bar.

One more drink with friends who said “It wont kill you,mate”

Unintentionally and stupidly, you sealed your own fate.

You’re laying on the road now with strangers around you.

Arriving are cars, with lights flashing, red and blue

A paramedic check for signs of life, and shakes his head

Your lifeless body, is part of his job, he’s come to dread

You are now being referred to as “The deceased”

As you lay on the wet, cold road all bloodied and creased

You are placed into a van, the doors latched down.

Now you begin your journey to “The loneliest room in town”

They are waiting for you, at the loneliest room

It is as cold and sterile, as a tomb

There, you are stripped, tagged and hosed down

All part of the service, at the loneliest room in town.

Soon your visitor will arrive

Someone who knew you, when you were alive

The silence of the loneliest room is pierced by a cry

Of a mother screaming “That’s my son, why did he die?”

Before you are tempted to drive, full of drink

Take a moment to stop and to think

Is it worth driving, after skulling that last drink down?

Is it really worth the ride, to the loneliest room in town?

A big thank you to Grilled Healthy Burgers in Charlestown Square who nominated ROADwhyz as one of their monthly ocommunity organisations to support. In doing so they raised $100.00 to go towards the on going work of ROADwhyz....Big thanks to the team at Charlestown

ROADwhyz has been lucky enough to be given a donation by Companion Credit Union. The feel that "the program is avery worth while cause and one that should be provided to as many young people as possible"

They advised us by letter that they "would like to support the continuation of ROADwhyz with a donation of $1000.00" They are also providing ROADwhyz with some merchandise that can be used at each school presentation

 .