Young Drivers
Younger drivers face many challenges when learning the complex task of driving a vehicle. With their inexperience, they also face a higher risk of danger. Despite making up only about 15 per cent of all drivers, younger drivers represent more than a third of annual road fatalities.
In Burwood LGA, young drivers are the leading cause of concern for road safety followed by pedestrians and fatigue.
The Burwood Youth Advisory Group (BYAG) conducted the 2016 Road Safety Launch. This put the spotlight on driver distraction. Young people from across the Inner West asked friends and family to take the pledge to
"Get Your Hand Off It". This pledge included a film clip written, acted and filmed by young people themselves. Burwood Council helped by pulling in some celebrity power the strengthen the message. Some of our partners included Matt de Groot from Nova 96.9's Fitzy and Whippa Show, Mark Ferguson from 7News, the Footy Show, players from the Bulldogs NRL side, Mike E and Emma and Jonesy and Amanda from WSFM.
You can watch the clip
here
More information about Young Drivers can be found on the Transport for NSW website.
The Power of Choice
The Power of Choice is a community initiative to help young people make the right choices. This is either while they are behind the wheel, or as a passenger. The program is not intended to intimidate, ridicule, scare or teach young drivers how to drive or what can happen. Instead, it aims to arm them with the common sense and the reality of a potentially poor decision. Adopting the right attitude could help them survive the drive, even as a passenger. They are shown the results of poor decisions, and told how a lapse in common sense could potentially change their life. The presentation runs for about three hours.
The Power of Choice program places students in small groups. This increases their engagement, and helps them to retain more information. Many other road safety programs have larger groups, where students are more likely to become distracted. Power of Choices breaks them into small groups of around 20-30 people.
Power of Choice is a no-cost presentation and has no need for funding. Previously Port Macquarie Crash Investigation Unit has delivered the program, since early 2000s following a spate of fatal crashes. Since the introduction of this program, Port Macquarie has not had a fatal crash.
The program begins with a demonstration by the emergency services. A dummy is placed behind the wheel of a wrecked car (students have also been used to act out this part). The victim is removed from the vehicle after the cutting and spreading equipment (jaws-of-life) are used in front of all the students. While the equipment is being used, a commentary is delivered by one of the emergency services personnel to explain what is happening. The students would also be informed that the ambulance officers would be attending to the victim while they are being cut them the vehicle.
When the victim is cut from the car, they are placed on a stretcher in front of the students as one of the emergency services personnel covers it with a blanket, with the comment, “we don’t always manage to save a crash victim”. Local wreckers and towing contractors donate a car and their services to deliver a wreck to the school. At the completion of the emergency services presentation, the students are divided into groups. Each presenter: Police, Local Court Magistrate, Crash survivors, Paramedics, Emergency Services Chaplain (for student counselling if needed), Automotive Professional and a Driver Educator. Twenty minute programs are delivered as the students rotate from room-to-room. This means each presenter delivers their program to each group. The continual movement has been effective at keeping the students engaged.
Older Drivers
On the road 65 Plus has advice and safety tips for people in our community aged 65 and over to help make safer choices when driving, riding, walking, using a mobility scooter or catching public transport.
Our Road Safety Officer conducts road safety sessions for older drivers about what's involved in maintaining your licence once you hit 65. For more information contact Council on
9911 9974 or
email
Speed Advisor
Speed Adviser is a smartphone app designed to reduce speeding and save lives. First released in February 2014, Speed Adviser provides free access to accurate speed zone information across the NSW road network
- Accurate speed zone information for NSW roads compiled by us and TomTom
Speed Projects Burwood LGA
Each year Burwood Council's Road Safety Officer produces maps which identify the speed related crashes in Burwood LGA. In 2014 the speed hotspots were Parramatta Road, Burwood Road, George's River Road, Coronation Parade and Railway Parade.
Additionally to mapping out our speed related crashes, Council's Road Safety Officer also monitors streets to ensure that drivers are maintaining the signposted speed limits.
Council ask if you notice a number of vehicles exceeding speed limits in your street to contact the Road Safety Officer so a speed test can be conducted.