"DRIVING is not a right, it is a privilege.”
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That was the message from former paramedic of 46 years Ray Tait at the Tamworth Young Drivers Expo on Tuesday.
A record number of students from 24 schools will pull into TRECC this week for the 20th expo, designed to address the alarming rise in casualties involving young drivers in northern NSW over the next week.
The expo, targeting year 11 students who are in the process of obtaining their Learner or Provisional Licence, includes a range of interactive workshops and a crash scene role play with emergency services.
“Hopefully what we’ll get through to the kids today is that driving is not a right, it is a privilege,” Mr Tait said.
“Hopefully we don’t see any of them in the statistics.”
Students participated in workshops by NSW Police, NRMA Insurance, Roads and Maritime Services and Hunter New England Health.
Tamworth Regional Council Acting Director Business and Community, Barry Harley, said he was pleased the event still attract a great response in terms of schools, both locally and outside the region.
“Following the recent spate of road accidents, the expo is a timely reminder for young drivers that their actions can have serious consequences, and the program aims to minimise the harm associated with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and other potentially risky behaviour by challenging young drivers’ attitudes and beliefs about driving,” he said.
Hannah Burton, a 16-year-old year 10 student from Oxley High, was in the role play of a crash scenario.
She has had her L plates for about four months.
“It was really confronting,” she said of the simulation.
“It makes you more aware of what it’s like to be a driver and the responsibilities you hold, especially as a young one.”
Naomi Monckton, 16, is a few months off getting her licence, but the Oxley High year 10 students says she now understands the responsibilities it carries.
“It’s confronting,” she said.
“I don’t get my licence for a couple of more months, but this makes you realise you need to be so careful.
“You never know if something like this is going to happen to you.”
Sgt Michael Buko said the real-life scenario was a good wake-up call to students.
“Some will get emotional and that’s not a bad thing,” he said.
“We want these kids to go home and talk to their mums and dads, and tell them about today and what they saw.
“I’m hoping we get through to every single kid here.”
Organisers are expecting more than 1200 students from schools across Tamworth, Manilla, Barraba, Armidale, Merriwa, Moree, Tenterfield and Scone to attend. The expo kicked off on Tuesday and will run until Friday.
