Bega High Year 11 students Indiana Cook and Monique Gibbons say they are grateful for a youth driver safety course that helped them realise the impact of car crashes.
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On Tuesday May 10, Year 11 students from Bega High and Bombala attended the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness program (RYDA) at the Sapphire Coast Kart Club track.
Various workshops were held throughout the day, with talks from the local police about licences, demerit points and speeding, as well as outreach talks from car crash survivors and family members of victims.
Indiana said the message that stood out most from the road safety excursion was that of the car crash survivors.
"It really made you look back and think how one decision can really ruin your life and someone else's in just a split second," she said.
Indiana's friend Monique said the story that stuck out to her most was the story about the death of Genevieve, who had died in a car crash.
"When they said the person sitting next to you might not be there tomorrow, it was eye opening because you just don't really think about that," Monique said.
Indiana and Monique both said they were grateful for the activities and awareness program being hosted by Bega Rotary all this week, and that it taught them many skills and strategies to stay safe on the roads and mindful.
"I'm really grateful that I had this experience and I really valued the speed and stopping exercise with the car," Indiana said.
"We're really privileged to have had this today," added Monique.
Bega Rotary member and coordinator of the RYDA program, Eric Johnston said this year's student numbers had dropped compared to previous years.
"The numbers are falling off each year, last year Bega High School brought around 190 students, this year there was around 67, and it's not just Bega all the schools are the same," he said.
The Bega Valley's RYDA program has hosted an estimated 6000 students over 16 years Rotary Bega said.
Mr Johnston said the the annual event was about educating and raising awareness in young drivers the risks they may face when driving.
"The year 11 students are at that age of having their Ls and Ps licence and the crash rate of red P platers is the highest of any," he said.
Mr Johnston said students on their Provisional P1 licence were more likely to crash than learner drivers who get given directions by their parents.
Transport NSW reports that despite making up only about 15 per cent of all licence holders, the crashes that involve drivers aged under 26 account for almost a quarter of annual road fatalities.