ROADwhyz has been delivering the road safety message to drivers young and old since 2009.
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Now in its 10th year the messages haven’t changed, they remain as important today as they were when ROADwhyz first began; For every choice, you have a consequence.
The program started from humble beginnings in a local hall in Rutherford, with a simple but important message coming from then two local Highway Patrol officers who had had enough of picking up young bodies off the road from situations that could have been avoided, should the drivers had paid attention and followed the road rules.
A local mother, Michelle Davis went along to hear the officers speak and was so moved by the message they were trying to get out she asked to share her story on that night.
Michelle lost her two teenage sons in a fatal car crash at Morpeth in 2005. Her sons died as a result of speeding and then losing control on a bend and running into an oncoming vehicle.
After seeing the two officers trying to get the message across to drivers, she realised this is also what she needed to do.
“Young drivers need to see the consequences of their choices, they need to know what their mum will feel if they don’t come home,” she said.
With this in mind Michelle asked for permission to run with the program, to try to grow it and get in front of high school students where the message would have the most impact. The rest as they say is history
Today Michelle shares her own personal story, she tells of what is left after poor choices are made on the road and the consequences that follow.
Michelle speaks in such a way that the young drivers are able to relate to her situation, she shares her experience of supporting the mates of her son’s, as well as the tragic role those young mates had in helping to plan for the funeral among other things.
The ROADwhyz presentation has expanded from a 2-hour message to one that can go up to 4 hours including workshop components. The program is delivered to approximately 20 schools per year.
The team consists of local Highway Patrol officers and NSW Ambulance Paramedics as well as representatives from the Westpac rescue helicopter service, past Crash investigation officers, local learner driver instructors and road safety officers from local council.
The key message from the program is simple: ‘it can happen to you – choice and consequence, this is a message Roadwhyz want all drivers to hear, young and old, it will contain information from an Ambulance Paramedic a Local Highway Patrol officer, and Michelle herself.
This presentation holds nothing back, it is graphic, hard hitting and emotional but above all the most real perspective of just what can happen when it all goes wrong.
If you want your young drivers to see and hear the realities of poor choices when on the road as well as get some tips on how to stay safe when driving then contact Roadwhyz and book as spaces are limited.