RRISK

Invitation to attend RRISK Seminars 2011

This year we celebrate our 13th Anniversary of the RRISK program in the Far North Coast and the 5th year in the Mid North Coast. RRISK aims to provide Year 11 students with the skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to make informed decisions about driving, alcohol and drug use, risk taking behaviours and safe partying.

Research published in Pediatrics, November, 2009 investigating the benefits of young driver education has shown that young drivers who attended the RRISK program had a 44% reduced risk of a car crashes.

This is a joint initiative by the Catholic Education Office Lismore, Department of Education and Training, NSW Health Northern Clinical Support Division, Lismore, Ballina, Tweed, Coffs Harbour and Kempsey Councils, RTA, NRMA, Southern Cross University NSW Police and NSW Ambulance,. The intersectional RRISK committee and associated partners are committed to reducing the risks for young people.

One of the key activities each year has been the free one-day seminars where students are taken out of the school environment and presented with valuable, credible information which supports the PDHPE curriculum. The students are also confronted with a 'real life' crash scenario which incorporates the most common experiences of the emergency service officers when attending crash scenes. The key messages of the seminar are Plan Ahead, Know the Facts, Make Informed Decisions and Look After Your Friends. READ MORE

RRISK seminar sessions

A RRISK seminar day contains six presentations covering the following topics:

Session 1 : Alcohol and other Drugs

The latest research on adolescent risk taking and drug and alcohol use is provided by Paul Dillon, keynote speaker from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia. Students are encouraged to plan ahead to avoid risky consequences, make informed decisions after assessing risks, look after friends when out socializing, and know when to call for medical assistance should a friend become unwell. Sobering up myths are exposed and substance use and risk taking are discussed in the context of an adolescent’s social life.

Session 2: Peer led groups

Student led activities and peer education are features of RRISK. The key message of the RRISK program is "Plan ahead and look after your friends, you could save their life". This message is reinforced by incorporating elements of the Red Cross "Save-a-Mate" program into the training of over 350 student Peer Facilitators. Peer Facilitators are then able to demonstrate to their classmates how to physically help a friend who may be unconscious. . The session is structured so that every student actively participates.

Fifteen Peer Facilitator training sessions are conducted in the month leading up to the RRISK seminars. These are held in Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore, Casino, Murwillumbah, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca Heads, Kempsey and Port Macquarie.

Peer Facilitators are encouraged to continue supporting the aims of RRISK in school and in their social lives. They are presented with a leadership certificate, following their participation in the seminar day. Principals are encouraged to present these at school assemblies.

Session 3: Young Driver Session

The NRMA has provided a special grant to develop a physical theatre production which captures the imagination, encourages thought and discussion, and leaves a memorable impression. Roundabout Theatre has been engaged to develop and tour this session as part of the RRISK Seminars. They have worked with road safety experts on the RRISK Committee to develop an innovative and effective way of reaching and appealing to young people.

The session will explore the complexity of the driving task, reinforce that it is the behaviour and attitudes of the young driver and their passengers that are critical to safe driving, identify strategies for young people to reduce risks on the road, increase their knowledge and stimulate discussion about road safety and risk taking.

Session 4: Safe Vehicles

A session on how to buy and maintain a safe vehicle is presented by a Roads and Traffic Authority officer. The session provides practical advice on how to choose a second hand car and which vehicle modifications are legal. During the session, students are invited on stage to assess a range of tyres, seatbelts, windscreen wipers and lights to determine whether or not they are roadworthy. A segment on sharing the road with trucks and heavy vehicles is included. The Pacific Highway runs through many towns on the North and Mid North Coast and heavy vehicles are an ever present danger to all drivers.

Session 5: Simulated Crash Scenario

This is a role-play involving students, police, SES, ambulance officers and public prosecutor. The main themes examined in this session are:

- How easy it is to be over the legal blood alcohol concentration limit the morning after a heavy drinking session
- How easy is it is to be involved in a crash
- How this situation could have been avoided
- How the crisis could have been handled to enable a better outcome for those injured in the crash
- Potential consequences for the driver, both personal and legal

Session 6: My story

Tweed Heads and Lismore seminars – This is a personal story by a young man who has been permanently injured as a result of a motor vehicle crash involving alcohol and drugs. The presenter reflects on how his decision to take risks resulted in the tragic death of two young women and his own permanent disability and limited options for a fulfilling life.

Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie seminars – This presentation is by a young man who was seriously injured in a motor bike crash which occurred while speeding and attempting to avoid police. The presenter discusses how his attitudes towards driving, road rules and disregard for the safety of others led to his permanent disability.