Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) is a community road safety initiative delivering practical road safety information targeting attitude and awareness of young drivers and passengers. The program is facilitated in partnership with Rotary, presented by professionals and supported by corporate sponsors. The Program about road safety is directed towards our young people as as they approach the period in their life when they start driving a car and ride as a passenger in a car driven by one of their peers.
RYDA Australia is a not for profit organisation responsible for the delivery of quality evidence-based road safety education programs to young people.
RYDA is a series of practical and powerful workshops that aim to change the way young people think about road safety. As part of an interactive one-day experience, students experience braking at different speeds, devise travel strategies that will work for them in the real world and get tips from road safety experts on how to protect themselves, their friends and family. Perhaps the most impactful moments come from the personal stories of loss and survival.
In one session, students watch a powerful and emotional video on the life and tragic death of and 18 year old provisional driver and her best friend. And in another, they sit with a crash survivor and hear first-hand how one poor choice can change a life forever.
RYDA is designed for 16-18 year old students who are approaching that crucial time in their lives where they start to drive independently or are travelling as passengers of novice drivers.
At RYDA, students will:
- Identify risks of car travel (to young driver and passenger) including life-long consequences.
- Identify contributing factors to crashes and understand how these are preventable (crashes aren’t accidents).
- Identify what a low-risk driver/passenger is and compare to self (in relation to low-risk attributes).
- Investigate ways to manage and eliminate road risk by developing and rehearsing personal strategies.
- Prepare steps (safer driver and passenger behaviour change) to lower identified personal risks and be a socially responsible road user.
We are proud to be involved with the RYDA program in the Bass Coast and invite all secondary schools to become involved, offering this vital training to young people. Contact us for information and to find out more about how our Rotary Club makes a difference to young people in our community.