Road safety expo for Otago teens
Dunedin (Friday, 10 March 2016) – The realities of a road crash will be the focus of an expo for secondary school students to
be held in Dunedin next week.
About 1600 Year 11 students from across Otago will attend the Survivor 2020 Safer Journeys Expo at the Edgar Centre on
14–16 March.
Dunedin City Council Road Safety Advisor Deborah Palmer says, “The expo aims to make young people more aware of how to
stay safe while driving.”
The expo will include a crash scenario, with the real life cause and effects of a crash. Students will learn about
modified vehicles, speed, alcohol, road safety and the human cost of crashes.
“Students will take away a toolkit of strategies to help them make good choices for themselves and their friends on the
road. Ultimately, we want them to be able to ‘make the right call’ and save lives,” says Mrs Palmer.
The expo involves about 50 staff from the DCC, Waitaki District Council, emergency services, the Dunedin Hospital
Emergency Department and the New Zealand Transport Agency. Crash survivors, family and Victim Support will share their
stories.
“People commit to this event each year because they know the importance of talking to our young people about road
safety,” says Mrs Palmer.
The expo is funded by the Transport Agency and co-ordinated by the DCC and Waitaki District Council.