The Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Program (RYDA) today celebrated the 20,000th student participating in the southern RYDA program at the Royal Hobart Show Grounds.
The RYDA Program has been operating in Tasmania since 2006, and this year’s program will see 70 high schools and approximately 4,500 students participating around the State.
The program’s ongoing success is a great example of how we will achieve our target to reduce the numbers of deaths and serious injuries on Tasmanian roads to zero by 2050.
The Tasmanian Government provides $75,000 funding per year from the Road Safety Levy to support the delivery of the RYDA Program in Tasmania.
Young road users aged 16-25 years are heavily over-represented in Tasmanian crash statistics, and represent the largest group of road user serious casualties in Tasmania.
Young drivers are the most vulnerable road users, particularly during the first month and also during the first 6-12 months of solo driving.
This is usually because of inexperience, risk-taking and impulsiveness, and increased risk exposure including speeding, night driving and drink-driving.
The RYDA Program targets awareness and attitudinal change and seeks to encourage students who are on the verge of entering the licensing system to take a more responsible attitude to driving.
RYDA involves senior students, predominantly year 10, participating in one day road safety education sessions which are supported by Rotary volunteers and other related community organisations. Rotarians give in excess of 300 volunteer days, and over 60 presenters are involved in the program during the year.