A Cool Heads young driver program was held in Echuca for the first time on Wednesday, June 19 at Twin Rivers School.
About 200 young people, community leaders, first responders and parents were educated about the potential dangers of driving, supported by stories and images that were often confronting.
The presentation addressed issues like speeding; driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol; peer group pressure; distractions in the car, such as mobile phones; and fatigue.
Campaspe local area commander Acting Inspector Damian Keegan was master of ceremonies, introducing the four guest speakers with different backgrounds and histories with road trauma.
Detective Sergeant Stephen Hill from Victoria Police's major collision investigation unit was the first to speak, sharing his experiences with the state's most severe accidents.
He told the crowd that in his many years in the role, only two events were ruled as ‘accidents’, despite approximately 180 incidents occurring annually in Victoria.
Detective Sergeant Hill spoke about the causes of collisions, often due to distractions, breaking road rules or drivers being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
He put the onus on drivers to make the right choices behind the wheel to avoid being or causing the one death that occurs every 30 hours on the roads in Victoria.
“Choices and decisions have consequences,” he said.
“Especially with motor vehicles.”
Echuca Moama Search and Rescue volunteer Mark Arrowsmith explained the group’s role in road collisions, often removing people who were trapped in their vehicles.
The group handles about 20 to 30 jobs annually and is entirely volunteer-based. They are currently seeking local volunteers and will be at the Echuca SES Open Day on Saturday, June 22 for a chat.
Ambulance Victoria paramedic Brent Law gave his perspective as a current first responder and former trauma nurse at The Alfred in Melbourne.
He recounted a story about a motorcyclist who took all necessary precautions to stay safe on the roads but tragically lost his life due to an unsafe driver.
Despite the efforts of dozens of healthcare workers, he was unable to be saved. Mr Law explained the ripple effect of this death, and of every road accident death, from friends and family to the about 25 to 50 healthcare workers who treated each patient.
His message echoed Detective Sergeant Hill’s presentation about making cautious decisions on the road.
“Just pay attention to what you’re doing,” he said.
The final speaker, Robyn Greening from Amber Community, shared the story of her son Jarrod, who suffered severe body and brain injuries after colliding with a petrol tanker in 2002.
Jarrod and his family’s lives were significantly changed from this moment, which left him in a coma for three months and in rehabilitation for almost 18 months.
Ms Greening shared her experience as a warning to young drivers that not all collisions ended in fatality, but severe injuries would drastically alter their life path.
The event was organised by Campaspe Local Area Proactive Policing Unit’s youth specialist officer Leading Senior Constable Shane Roberts, who had seen the program’s 16 years of success in Shepparton and wanted to bring the program to Echuca.
Leading Senior Constable Roberts was pleasantly surprised by the crowd, which included staff and students from St Joseph’s and Echuca College, Echuca Football and Netball Club members, NSW Police officers, and representatives from CCLLEN.
He hopes to run the event annually and see the positive impacts of the program reflected in behaviour on local roads.