A STRING of serious road accidents throughout the Central West has one coach calling for the introduction of safe driving programs to help teenagers stay safe on our roads.
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Earlier this month, four Dubbo AFL players were injured in a collision while on their way to play the Bathurst Giants.
As a result of the single vehicle crash, which occurred on the Mitchell Highway near Molong, the four players were hospitalised suffering a range of head, facial and neck injuries.
Coach of the Bathurst Giants, Mark Kennedy, said the crash, and other serious accidents which have occurred in the region recently, highlight how easy it is for young people, especially those travelling between towns for sporting fixtures, to be seriously injured, or worse.
He said he would like some type of safe driving program introduced to help kids stay safe.
“We did it before with the Bathurst Bushrangers back in 2008, and I think it is a socially responsible thing to do.”
Mr Kennedy said when the Bushrangers hosted the program, they worked with Tablelands Road Safety Officer Iris Dorsett, and partnered with local car yards to teach young drivers basic road safety.
“We had mechanics come in and set up three cars with defaults and then they identified the faults with the kids and went through how they can affect a car on the road.
The group also worked in partnership with the Bathurst Jail, so the participants in the program got an understanding of the consequences if poor driving decisions are made.
“The reality is if people make a bad choice while driving and someone is injured and killed, they can end up in jail,” Mr Kennedy said.
“We also worked with the police, SES, fire brigade and ambulance, who created a mock scenario of a car accident, with actors from Charles Sturt University.
“It was a pretty devastating scene, the police and ambulance turned up, it was very real.”
“And it really hit home for a lot of those young drivers, it made them realise [what can happen] if something goes wrong” he said.
Mr Kennedy said once the teenagers completed the training they signed contracts, along with their parents acknowledging their role in safe driving.
“It definitely had an impact on the kids, and in the last couple of weeks we’ve seen some terrible accidents on our roads.
“We’ve always got young players travelling in between towns for matches, I think it would be great to see a program like what we use to have to help keep these kids safe on the road.”
