Wednesday, 9 November, 2016
APPRENTICES studying at five TAFE campuses across the Northern Tablelands electorate will now be taught lifesaving road safety skills as part of a new program designed to save young lives on NSW roads, according to local MP Adam Marshall.
Mr Marshall said apprentices studying at the Armidale, Inverell, Glen Innes, Moree and Boggabilla TAFE campuses would learn vital road safety lessons from early next year.
“Young drivers continue to be over-represented in serious crashes in NSW, especially in regional areas. In the five years from 2011 to 2015, 193 young drivers were killed on NSW roads, with 85 per cent of the fatalities occurring in country areas,” Mr Marshall said.
“This program has been specifically developed for young drivers, to give students an overview of some of the main issues affecting road safety on regional roads.
“The workshop will cover five key issues including speed, driver fatigue, animals on rural roads, driver distraction – particularly the use of mobile phones – and alcohol and drugs.”
Mr Marshall said the local project was part of the Towards Zero: TAFE Road Safety Partnership, a collaborative initiative between Transport for NSW, Roads and Maritime Services and TAFE NSW.
“Hundreds of TAFE Western apprentices at Dubbo and Orange have already benefited from the pilot program – it is great to see the program being extended to our local area,” Mr Marshall said.