The Fit2Drive (F2D) Year 11 Workshop was conducted today as a half-day session with all students in the year level.
The workshop experience supports them to make good decisions when faced with risky driving situations, both as passengers, and in terms of their future driving safety. F2D is about changing attitudes and behaviours – not their driving skills.
The workshop helped out students by using active learning methods that draw upon their own experiences, to develop a respect and pride for safe road use. The road to empowerment is fostered through the small group facilitation undertaken by specially trained tertiary undergraduates.
The overall purpose of the F2D Year 11 Workshop is to reduce youth road trauma.
The Year 11 Workshop included activities identified as being effective with young people in education programs designed to change behaviour. These include:
Providing opportunities to rehearse behaviours and problem solving strategies
Guided discussion to reinforce and check beliefs, test normative beliefs, etc.
Using scenarios to stimulate discussion, to consider the costs and benefits of safe and risky behaviour, and as a vehicle for rehearsing safe behaviours, planning strategies, problem solving, etc.
Providing opportunities for interaction and sharing ideas – role plays, pair, small and large group discussion.
In addition, there were presentations about the issues for young drivers and passengers including a Victoria Police presentation and a real life case study delivered by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB), Country Fire Authority (CFA) or other emergency services personnel.
At the culmination of the F2D workshop, our Year 11 students developed a Personal Plan involving strategies and things they would say and do in dangerous situations in order to stay safe on the roads. They also developed a School/Community Plan that covers actions to help make those in their school or community safer on the road.