Based off of the RAC bstreetsmart excursion, we were to make a campaign referencing a key cause of driving fatalities, in which I chose drink driving. Here is my campaign…

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What were the biggest things you learned while at the RAC bstreetsmart excursion?

The two biggest ideas in which I learned during the RAC excursion was the causes and effects of crashes, being either fatal or minor. There were plenty examples of this displayed in order to inform us and convince both myself and the 10,000 other students to be more responsible and cautious drivers in the future.

There were many causes of crashes which were demonstrated and explain throughout the day. Some major examples of this were drink driving, distractions, unfavourable weather and many more. All of these examples were prime causes of a high percentage of crashes within Australia at least. A story of multiple causes was presented through an hour long act at the beginning of the excursion. The act presented the story of a group of friends after a party, then driving home turning into a fatality. The main cause of this crash was distracting the driver, but it also had other influences including drunk driving, and possibly more. The story outlined the major causes of the fatality, and possibly the actions one could take in the future in order to avoid similar circumstances.

There were also effects of crashes demonstrated to a high concentration throughout the day at the RAC excursion. The majority of the examples of the effects were physical harm, however the act partially included the legal situations that occur with crashes as well. Throughout the day, there were a multitude of guest speakers as well as videos which had experienced many physical affects from road fatalities. Some examples of this were speakers which experienced amputation, quadriplegia, and many other impacts. All of these people explained their story, and focused on the idea that this can occur to any individual at any time when on the road, informing us about the importance of responsible driving, especially towards the younger audience at the day. 

What piece of advice would you pass on to young drivers above all else? Why?

One piece of advice I would pass on to drivers is to not overlook the less common/known causes of driving fatalities, which could include distracted driving, tiredness and many more. This is because these are generally not considered when thinking if one can drive, and will lead to crashes in the future.

Write down a pledge that you will commit to when you start driving. Why did you pick these things to commit to? How will you stick to these commitments?

I pledge to never drink alcohol or take any substances while or before being behind the wheel. I chose to pick these things to commit to because I would like to always be able to drive at any time and do so responsibly. I will stick to these commitments by constantly reminding myself of the dangers of drinking whilst driving, as well as the effects of alcohol and drugs as a whole.