On Friday, 11 June, the year 12 students got an amazing opportunity to get an understanding of the impact we have as drivers on the road.

We were able to physically see the distances required to stop at different speeds, and what safe following distances truly look like in and outdoor demonstration. We learnt about ourselves and who we are as drivers, got chatted to by police and many more eye opening workshops.

A highlight for myself and many others was Kelly. Kelly is an inspiring women who had an experience falling asleep at the wheel. She has recovered amazingly and was able to survive and tell us the struggle she has had with rehab. Her persistence and determination was the only thing that got her through it and able to be the person she is today. This was such an inspiration but also a reminder of the impacts that a crash like that can have on our lives.

As new drivers it is hard for us to understand the massive scale of damage that can be caused by bad decisions on the road. We learnt through Genevieve’s story that in some cases, you don’t get the chance of fighting through rehab, and the effect that it has on family members. All of these workshops combined and as a result, we left with a massive intake of information that I am sure we will take with us to the wheel. We understand the importance of focus and not getting distracted, of knowing our limits and how we will react to situations (along with strategies to overcome this), making good, safe choices, the impact our speed has and most importantly that everything we do will affect other drivers.

As a collective, we are so grateful to have had this opportunity and thank all the people who made it possible. To all the volunteers from Rotary that showed us around, AMI insurance and everyone else who chipped in to make it happen. I have no doubt you are positively influencing the way we view driving.