General News
24 June, 2025
Driving safety message
STUDENTS at Mareeba State High School recently took part in a driving and road safety awareness workshop to help them learn how to make safe choices on the road once they get their driver’s licence.
“The Ryda program is one of the longest driving awareness programs running,” Ryda day manager Shayne Ralph said.
“We’ve reached over 15,000 students in the first five months of this year in Queensland alone, which is amazing.”
The students moved through six half-hour workshops that focused on how their choices can affect their lives, how to make safe choices on the roads, and how important it is to speak up when they feel uncomfortable.
Ms Ralph said it was important young kids learnt about road safety because they are at the highest risk of accidents, according to statistics.
“Statistics show us that P platers are at the highest risk of crashing,” she said.
“They move very quickly from being the safest drivers on the road as learners to potentially putting themselves at risk as P platers.
“That’s why we teach them at this age and try and give them the tools, resources, and insight into how to make safer choices on the roads, because you can’t go back after a crash and change what happened.
“It’s important that they’re aware they have the capacity to change the statistics and help reduce them because every year it just keeps growing and growing. We’re trying to help save lives.”
