Year 12 students received a very important and powerful lesson about road safety during a demonstration and awareness talk by CFC driver training agency.

The event highlighted the dangers of speed and the importance of safety behind the wheel, both crucial topics at a time when many of the students will be looking to take their first driving lessons.

The presentations included powerful videos showing the damage caused by collisions at various speeds and the life-changing impacts that road accidents have had on peoples’ lives. The guest speakers spoke of the importance of driving with a ‘clear head’ and to avoid driving while tired, stating that many accidents happen due to a slowdown in reaction times. Other lifesaving factors in the discussion included the proper wearing of safety belts and the avoidance of distractions, such as mobile phones, while driving.

During the demonstration, students were asked to estimate the stopping distance of a car performing an emergency stop at 30kmh, and again for a car travelling at 50kmh. Their estimations were then put to the test, with many surprised by the results.

The CFC demonstrators brought examples of two vehicles that had been involved in serious accidents, the damage obvious to see, with a clear moment of sadness as we considered the suffering caused to the passengers involved.

Students were given hands-on demonstrations of the importance of seatbelts. In one demonstration, students were invited to strap themselves into a simulator which was then rotated to give the feeling of being in a car rollover, while in the other demonstration they felt the effects of a collision travelling at a speed of 8kmh. With their seatbelts properly worn, the students were safely protected.

St George’s thanks CFC for their presentations. They were factual and sobering, and the messages were very powerful.