It’s not every day you grab the attention of more than 2,000 high school students – but fatal vision googles and a breath test tend to work!
Throughout last week, Year 11 and 12 students from across the region filed into Napier's Pettigrew Green Arena for the Hawke’s Bay Youth Road Safety Expo.
The students heard about the consequences of poor driving decisions and the solutions to keeping themselves and their friends and whānau safe on the roads.
The week-long expo is a joint safety initiative between Police, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Roadsafe Hawke’s Bay, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Hato Hone St Johns and Fire and Emergency NZ.
While there were presentations, including heart-wrenching videos telling stories of young people killed or seriously injured in road crashes, there were plenty of interactive displays too, which were very popular.
The fatal vision googles gave students the illusion of being drunk and attempting to get into a vehicle and walk in a straight line. They also had the opportunity to be breath tested after gargling mouthwash and experiencing what it’s like to be in a ‘booze bus’.
NZTA Waka Kotahi statistics show between 2021-2023 there were 730 crashes involving 15–19-year-old drivers. Of the 1,929 people involved in these crashes:
- 8 were killed
- 91 suffered serious injuries
- 330 had minor injuries
The social cost of these crashes is estimated at more than $383million.
Eastern District Road Policing Manager Inspector Angela Hallett says everyone, including young people, has a personal responsibility when it comes to road safety.
“The expo highlights some of the impacts of unsafe driving behaviours," says Angela. "It's a fantastic opportunity to educate young drivers on how a few poor choices can have devastating lifelong impacts for many."
Senior Constable Andy Clinton was at the expo all week presenting to the students, and says it’s been a hugely rewarding and positive experience.
“The students have been totally engaged, asking plenty of questions," he says.
"It’s so great to see them have light bulb moments when they understand the importance of the message we are sharing."
Andy says the expo focused on the four main causes of crashes: distraction, in particular cell phone use; seatbelts; speed; and impaired (drink or drug) driving.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Road Safety Engagement Advisor Liz Schlierike says it’s great to be working alongside their partners.
“If we can get the students to think about driving at a safe speed or not driving while distracted, this will hopefully improve our regional crash statistics," says Liz.