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Cairns Rotary make history accepting the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Program.

The combined Rotary Clubs of Cairns met recently at the Hotel Cairns for a presentation and overview of the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness program.

Michael Cullen, the Queensland State Manager - Operations RYDA, presented to the Cairns Rotarians, who have been waiting with anticipation to view the program and get involved with schools and year 11 student. The RYDA program was accepted unanimously by the Rotarians and from within the group the initial Cairns RYDA Committee was formed. The new Committee Chair, Buster Todd from the Cairns Rotary Club vowed to start action immediately in supplying the young students and drivers of Cairns the valuable RYDA safe driving program. Mr Todd also said, "The road death toll for the region in 2009 has doubled and is unacceptable, Rotary clubs in Cairns must do their part to educate the young and student drivers". Plans are already underway for the first Cairns RYDA full-day training to take place early 2010.  For more information on the Cairns RYDA program, please contact Buster Todd on 0402 453 082.

One young person dies on Australian roads every day and young drivers continue to be over-represented in road crash statistics. Young people aged 17-25 represent less than 15% of the population yet account for over 26% of deaths and injuries on our roads.  RYDA aims to equip young people with the knowledge to stay safe on Australian roads. RYDA focuses on attitude and awareness of young people as drivers and passengers, with the theme My Life - My Choices.

Other RYDA Information:

• In 2000, a group of concerned Rotarians decided that something must be done to stop this tragic loss of young people and established the RYDA Youth Driver Awareness program, a road safety education program.
• More than 120,000 students across Australia have now attended RYDA thanks to the efforts of hundreds of Rotary clubs and many thousands of Rotarians who have given their time and resources to help arrange and manage this life saving program. RYDA aims to ensure that when young people begin driving, they have already received the best road safety education possible.
• The program is unique as it attempts to influence attitudes and behaviours of both drivers and passengers before they get their licence and get behind the wheel.
• Experience indicates that once young people actually start driving, it is generally too late for training as they have already developed a strong - and often incorrect - belief in their own competencies.
• The RYDA program was developed in consultation with road safety authorities, relevant government departments and the police and is designed to complement the school curriculum and government road safety messages. All sessions are conducted by topic experts in their field.
• In 2010, thanks to the efforts of local Rotary Clubs, secondary schools in our region will soon have the opportunity to get involved with this potentially lifesaving program.

Interested Cairns schools (and parents) should contact either Buster Todd on 0402 453 082 or RYDA Australia's Queensland Operations Manager, Michael Cullen on 0434 767 530 for more information.