Last week Tec-NQ Year 10 students participated in Safer Driving Skills Workshops onsite at Townsville’s DriveIT NQ, motorsport precinct. Supported by QYS (Queensland Youth Services) through their LearnIT driver training program, the four, one-day workshops exposed students to everything they need to know about road safety.
Driver experiences covered stopping distances in wet and dry conditions, vehicle stability comparisons, truck safety awareness, and the impact of drugs and alcohol on driving.
Tec-NQ Deputy Principal Michael Hegarty jumped at the opportunity to expose students to important skills as they begin to hit the road for the first time.
“This is the second year in a row that we’ve worked with the LearnIT team to deliver these essential driver safety workshops for our students. We value their approach to roadsafety training and love the impact it has on our impressionable young drivers.” Michael said.
“We released an expression of interest to our families and were inundated with applicants, so our families clearly see the value here too!” he added.
Young drivers and riders aged 16–24 are 60% more likely to be involved in serious crashes, with around 100 Queensland road deaths each year linked to this age group. LearnIT believes that education and hands-on mentoring are essential to turning these statistics around.
The LearnIT program is funded by Queensland Transport and Main Roads through their Community Road Safety Education grants.
Murray Holm, Road Safety Program Facilitator from LearnIT, has decades of experience in mentoring young drivers and hears stories daily that highlight the importance of this support. “Driver confidence leads to better mental health, employability, and independence for young people. Ensuring they can gain vital skills and carve a future that is safe and sustainable”.