Over 100 secondary schools will benefit from a road safety initiative designed by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), following worries about the high incidence of severe accidents and fatalities involving young individuals in recent years. Under-16s accounted for 12 of all road deaths last year, while there were 48 in the 16-26 age bracket, in addition to over 400 serious injuries.
Although a road safety module has been in place for transition year students since 2009, the teaching community has raised issues with integrating the 34-lesson coursework into already packed schedules. To address this, a condensed 10-week programme has been devised, providing a comprehensive outlook including subjects like driving tuition, car components, speed limits, alcohol and drugs, distractions and safety belts, and targeting vulnerable road users. The programme will initially be rolled out in 143 schools.
During the inauguration ceremony at Marian College Dublin on Thursday, Norma Foley, the Education Minister, emphasised the crucial role of the programme in raising road safety consciousness within schools. She argued that imparting high quality, research-supported road safety information at secondary school level is possibly the most efficacious long-term technique to ensure the population has an adequate grasp of their duties and responsibilities.
A road safety toolkit will be provided to the schools opting into the programme. Materials included are a teacher support booklet, a student logbook, webinars and additional road safety resources, all geared towards fostering road safety competencies focusing on knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.
Sam Waide, RSA’s chief executive, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to preparing future road users with proper knowledge and awareness about road safety, especially when contemplating obtaining a driving licence. The programme emphasises everyone’s significant role, regardless of their preferred means of transport, aiming to reinforce the students’ road safety skills and values.
Paula Hilman, Garda Assistant Commissioner for road policing, highlighted the importance of education in fostering a broader understanding of road safety among the general population, particularly the young drivers. She believes that collaborative efforts in improving young people’s education is the key to decreasing the rate of road fatalities in Ireland.