The Year 12s participated in six different workshops of about 30 minutes each. Topics covered included: 

1. Speed and stopping where we discovered how long, in metres, it takes a car to come to a stop when travelling at 30km/hr, 50km/hr and 60km/hr. Who would have thought that when you double the speed from 30 - 60km/hr you quadruple the stopping distance!!
2. The ‘I in Drive’ session got us to reflect on how our personality impacts risk on the road and provided us with tools to speak up when we feel uncomfortable with someone's driving.
3. Road Choices was led by one of our local police officers and that session was focussed around key risk areas for young drivers - what we need to be aware of and look out for.
4. In ‘Mind Matters’ we took a look at the role of mood as a road risk factor. Working in teams, we develop strategies to recognise and change harmful mind states and plan ahead to avoid risk. This was a great interactive session.
5. During ‘Crash Investigators’ we heard from a crash survivor who is now in a wheelchair and then got to ask questions about her accident so that we were able to unpack what happened and try to determine the cause of the crash.
6. Finally, in Drive S.O.S we used role plays and video to look at the road from the perspective of other road users, gaining an understanding of their challenges and learning how to “Drive So Others Survive”.

It was a really useful and informative day where we learned some valuable tips to keep ourselves and others safe on the roads as we become more regular users of motor vehicles.

Thanks to Road Safety Education, Central Otago District Council and DHS for coordinating this day.

 Connor McDowall