THE leader of a safe-driving program that has stopped P-platers dying on our roads wants the youth-education course to be adopted statewide.
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The state government already has refused to use the Power of Choice, which advocates safe driving to year 11 students in Hastings’ schools, across NSW.
But its chairman, Carl Lockwood, and local police officers, are pushing on with plans to ensure bureaucrats “make it happen”.
Mr Lockwood said, of the 4000-plus teenagers who had the message “use your brain and not the pedal on the roads” drummed into them during the past four years, none had been killed.
It was time to take the program – which incorporated talks from local authorities, crash victims and hands-on education seminars – statewide to save more lives, he said.
The plea comes after a spate of deaths on NSW roads involving P-plate drivers.
Police pushed for new laws to confiscate cars of speeding P-platers doing more than 20km/h over the limit as a result.
Mr Lockwood said it would do little to curb the road toll.
“Only education will see these kids turn around – just look at what we have achieved here,” he said.
Mr Lockwood his program should become “bible” across all schools for year 10 and 11 students.
He said the program was considered by the state government’s Staysafe Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety in August last year but was knocked back.
It was one of 28 programs looked at to be incorporated into a single education course in NSW.
The Staysafe report said all programs had advantages and aspects from many could be used to create one education strategy. That would take some time.
But there was no time to waste when it concerned saving youngsters’ lives, Mr Lockwood said.
Seventeen-year-old Adam Domanski knows this all too well.
The MacKillop Senior College year 11 student said his “close friend” nearly died in a serious car accident at Bonny Hills on November 30 last year.
Twenty-two-year-old Ben Turner was a passenger in that car and lost his life in the crash.
The 17-year-old teenager is going for his P-plates.
He said the Power of Choice program played a part in his decision to put safety first.
“It’s an important thing to stop P-platers speeding as it’s a major cause of death and injury,” he said.
“Education’s the key. Hammer home the message that speeding kills and hopefully some people will listen before it’s too late.
Power of Choice co-ordinator and Port Macquarie Police Senior Constable Jason Bentley said, even though the program being knocked back by the state government, he would be behind a push to “make it happen” .
Mr Lockwood said he would continue to approach the government until action was taken.
