John Williamson: Teachers to thank for successful road safety programmes at school

Otamatea High School students watch a 70km/h ABS brake stop. Teachers do so much more outside of teaching these days and the expectations are challenging, says John Williamson. Photo / File

ON THE ROAD

We expect a lot of our schools and the expectation is increasing. Our school teachers have been telling us about that over the past few weeks and they are crying enough and louder than we have ever heard before.

My school recollections are of a reasonably structured learning process, with a limited range of out-of-hours sport and various other activities based on the personal interests of the teachers.

I have vivid memories of free school milk, delivered early in quart bottles, sometimes languishing in the sun to be consumed mid-morning. This programme was discontinued in 1967 based on lack of perceived value.

It was great to see Fonterra reintroduce the programme in 2012 providing free milk to 140,000 kids daily in 70 per cent of primary schools, and this is overseen by school staff.

Teachers do so much more outside of teaching these days and the expectations are challenging. Many people believe that the whole area of life skills and wellbeing of our kids are at least partly the responsibility of our schools, in addition to the increasingly complex traditional education.

The promotion of safe driving behaviour is one of a range of extracurricular opportunities which secondary schools are being encouraged to take on board.

It was great to see Fonterra reintroduce the free school milk programme in 2012 providing milk to 140,000 kids daily in 70 per cent of primary schools. This is overseen by school staff. Photo / File

A driver's licence is an important job prerequisite and the school is the obvious place to establish the safe driving attitudes and behaviours. But all this depends on the commitment of the school and its teachers, in an already heavy educational workload.

Roadsafe Northland was the recent recipient of an Excellence in Road Safety Education award which was presented in a Road Safety Week ceremony at Tamaki College, Auckland, this month.

The ceremony showcased a number of road safety programmes which are very dependent on the passion and commitment from secondary schools for their operation and success.

The ceremony was organised by Road Safety Education's Maria Lovelock, who provides the RYDA (Rotary Youth Driver Awareness) programme.

RYDA is a training workshop delivered to Year 12 students in 58 schools throughout New Zealand. The workshop involves a range of community partners who present on driving skills hazards, distractions and risks, speed and stopping distances and road choices.

The participants talk with a crash survivor and these experiences are described as insightful, eye opening, inspirational and attitude changing by the participants.

Also presenting was Donna Govorko, national manager of SADD (Students Against Dangerous Driving).

This is a peer-to-peer education programme happening in around 75 per cent of secondary schools. SADD is jointly funded by NZTA and NZAA but also depends on at least one passionate teacher and a group of student leaders who regularly engage with their student colleagues to raise awareness of safe driving behaviour.

A teacher putting make-up on a student with other pupils in preparation for a Students Against Drunk Driving mock-accident event. Photo / File

The programme is based on six principles: sober drivers, safe speeds, no distraction, avoiding risks, driving to conditions and building experience. The students aim to have one SADD based activity per term - with a phone-free 48 hours challenge this week.

The awards ceremony was at Tamaki College. This is a decile 1A school with 550 students. Tamaki College was an award recipient for its commitment to providing driver training.

The objective was that their students leave school with at least a restricted driver's licence.

Tamaki College has a dedicated driving instructor on its staff, a Rotary sponsored car for training and practice and achieved 43 restricted licences in the past 12 months.

This is a highly impressive commitment on behalf of the college to give their students the best possible skills to get a job and is a proving ground for the Coalition Government's commitment to provide free driver training to all secondary school students.

Exposing young people to good driving habits and achievements while at school is easier than trying to change bad habits later in life. We have committed teachers to thank for that.

• John Williamson is chairman of Roadsafe Northland and Northland Road Safety Trust, a former national councillor for NZ Automobile Association and former Whangārei District Council member.