Tragic message driven home

Tenterfield Year 11 students were among a number of teenagers to take part in a one-day driver awareness course at Tamworth last month.

TRAGIC accidents involving young drivers is often on the news.
To help stem the carnage, Tenterfield Rotary Club, New England Mutual and Tamworth Regional Council banded together to transport 28 Year 11 students from Tenterfield to participate in a driver awareness course on 28 August.
The course conveyed a very powerful message: from a graphic re-creation of a fatal road accident in the opening session, to the consequent court case at the closing session of the day, where the young driver was given a three-year custodial sentence.
Other sessions covered many aspects of road safety, the effects of alcohol, and a demonstration how vehicles perform under different road conditions.
Tenterfield Rotary Club public relations manager Keith Butler said a presentation by a victim of a motorcycle accident really drove home the life-changing message.
“This person sustained brain damage, spent 12 weeks in a coma and a year in hospital,” he said.
After years of rehabilitation, he was left with partial paralysis, and a speech impediment.”
This event is planned again for next year with the support of the Tenterfield Rotary Club.