Volunteers from Ballarat’s brigades will once again be involved in the Ballarat Community Road Safety Forum - an initiative of Road Trauma Support Services Victoria (RTSSV) and Victoria Police - to coincide with the United Nations Global Road Safety Week 4-10 May.
RTSSV is a not-for-profit organisation contributing to the safety and wellbeing of Victorian road users. It provides free face-to-face or telephone counselling and support for people affected by road trauma, including bereaved family members, witnesses, drivers, first-on-scene, emergency services personnel, families and friends of people injured in the crash.
Attitudes and behaviours of road users are addressed through education programs such as road safety forums and road trauma awareness seminars.
CFA members Mark Cartledge and Victor Gartside from Ballarat, Chris Mair from Wendouree and Rick Williams from the Headquaters brigade are volunteer speakers at the seminars. They describe their experiences of road trauma to offenders who've been ordered by a court to attend the seminar. Some talk about road crashes they have attended with CFA, some talk about crashes they were involved in, and some speak about the ripple effect associated with losing loved ones in crashes
The aim of the Ballarat Road Safety Forum is to promote safe driving and to reduce the incidence and impact of road trauma in the Ballarat region.
A variety of topics are discussed in the forum to encourage safe driving. These include driver responsibility to minimise risk and maximise safety; the ripple effect of road trauma; the importance of vehicle safety; the Graduated Licensing System (learners undertaking 120 hours of driving prac); helping novice drivers develop strategies to cope with peer pressure; alcohol restrictions as well as the laws relating to drink driving; seat-belt wearing and mobile phone use.
All road users are encouraged to attend the forum, which is free.
If you or a loved one requires counselling after a collision, contact RTSSV on 1300 367 797
Ballarat Community Road Safety Forum
Tuesday 5 May 2015Technology Park Theatre, (formerly Brewery Building)
SMB Campus
Federation University Australia
Lydiard Street South, Ballarat
If you wish to attend the Ballarat Community Road Safety Forum please contact:
Lorraine Yeomans
Coordinator, Grampians Region
M: 0448 392 047
E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.rtssv.org.au
Author: Chris Mair