Secondary schools in Melbourne’s west are being urged to embrace a program that aims to drive down the number of young people killed in car crashes.
The RoadSafe Westgate Community Road Safety Council is working to cut road fatalities and serious injuries caused by car crashes in Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton and Wyndham.
Chairman Jim Giddings said young drivers continued to be the most at-risk people on the west’s roads.
“Young drivers comprise a small proportion of licensed drivers yet are substantially more involved and over-represented in road crashes, fatalities and injuries than other drivers,” Mr Giddings said.
“Immediately after obtaining their licence, they are at the greatest risk.”
Mr Giddings said RoadSafe Westgate was running two programs aimed at young drivers – Fit2Drive and Looking After Our Mates.
He said both programs were endorsed by VicRoads and the TAC and were delivered in a school environment. But he said not all schools had taken up the option to deliver either of the programs to their students.
“We still have a handful of secondary colleges that have yet accepted the challenge of participating,” he said.
The Victorian Community Road Safety Partnership Program has provided funding to support RoadSafe Westgate in addressing road safety issues throughout the west.
For more details on Fit2Drive, call Gavin MacDonald on 0405 456 496. For more details on Looking After Our Mates, phone Mark Stone on 0409 384 619.
