safety on the road

Hundreds of students from around the South West gathered at BREC last week for the annual Youth Road Safety Expo.

Students from Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, Manea Senior College, Eaton Community College, Bunbury Senior High School, Collie Senior High School, Grace Christian School and Nannup District High School were given first hand looks at emergency service equipment and processes relating to traffic crashes.

Organised by St John Ambulance regional training and service coordinator Annette Mateljan, the event was designed to educate teenagers about the dangers of distracted driving and provide them with some graphic and confronting examples of the consequences of distracted driving.

“There’s a bit of shock factor,” Mrs Mateljan said.

“It also shows them that we can all do something if we come across a trauma accident.”

The day started with students browsing a range of indoor and outdoor displays from various road safety groups before the RAC Rescue Helicopter dropped in on the Pat Usher Foreshore.

A series of extraction demonstrations by the Bunbury Fire Brigade followed before the students went into the Stage One Theatre for the simulated crash exercise and Q and A session with career paramedics, traffic officers, DFES officers and serious crash victims.

BCGS students Henry Openshaw and Issy Marshall both said the day was a real eye opener.