House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-22 Daily Xml

Contents

Answers to Questions

ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION

152 Mr PISONI (Unley) (19 October 2010). How much is currently invested in educational programmes such as the Road Accident Prevention Programme?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister Assisting the Premier with South Australia's Strategic Plan): The Government makes considerable investment in road safety education programs in schools. There are several programs available to schools which are delivered by a number of different agencies including the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI), South Australia Police (SAPOL) and South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (SAMFS).

The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service's (MFS) Road Awareness Program (RAP) (formerly the Road Accident Prevention Program) is one of the main programs offered free to schools. RAP is a preventative educational program that targets the highest risk group of road crash victims—those in the 16-24 year old age group. The State Government is expanding the program so that it is available to more than 90 percent of secondary students and has committed $740,000 to RAP with $185,000 to be spent on the program in 2010-11.

In addition, DTEI develops and delivers road safety education programs that comply with the 16 best practice principles of Road Safety Education. These principles are outlined in the document 'Getting it Together' which was launched in 2009 by School Drug Education & Road Aware (WA) following consultation with the National Road Safety Educators Forum, in which key DTEI and DECS staff are active participants.

One of the key principles from this document is that road safety education programs be embedded within a curriculum framework.

DTEI delivers Way2Go, which encourages safer, greener and more active travel for primary children.

Way2Go was officially launched in February 2010 and was developed in consultation with South Australian teachers. It adheres to the road safety education best practice principles framework and includes a comprehensive bicycle education program as well as safety signage and engineering improvements around schools. Currently the Department spends approximately $500,000 per annum on the delivery of Way2Go in schools, including Way2Go Bike Ed and an additional $200,000 on safety signage, engineering and infrastructure improvements to support the outcomes of the program.

The Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure recently developed a teacher resource book called 'Your Turn' which is aimed at year 8 and 9 students and which explores a range of road safety topics relevant to this age group as 'pre-drivers'. It focuses on attitudes, factors that influence decision making in a road safety context and the consequences of those decisions.

Once again it aligns with the best practice principles framework. Approximately $85,000 was spent on the development, production and distribution of this resource. It is available for use by teachers in all schools with a secondary enrolment state-wide.

Overall, in the previous financial year the Government directly invested approximately $785,000 in school based road safety education programs delivered by DTEI. This investment has been maintained for the current financial year.