22/11/2011
The Office of Road Safety, on behalf of the Road Safety Council, has created a simple and easy to understand educational resource to make the process of getting a driver’s licence easier, and to spread the word about drink driving.
“Indigenous people are over represented in road crashes and are 25 times more likely to be imprisoned for driving under the influence than non-Indigenous people,” Independent Chair of the Road Safety Council, Professor D’Arcy Holman said.
“They are also more likely to drive unlicensed or to never have held a driver’s licence.”
The resource kit was launched at Clontarf Aboriginal College in Perth on 21 November with year 11 students being given the chance to play the board game, many of whom are in the processing of learning to drive or gaining their licence.
“We want to start to change the conversation about drink driving and driving without a licence and to create an understanding in the community that it’s worth the effort to get their licence and make better choices about drinking and driving.
“The resource kit has been designed for people working with Indigenous communities in regional areas and has been developed in consultation with stakeholders and Indigenous people across the state.”
The kit contains a range of interactive resources specifically developed for Indigenous Western Australians including a board game, discussion cards, a streetscape mat with model cars, and a Q&A CD containing practice Learner’s Permit theory tests with the option for people with low literacy levels to listen along and a questionnaire to help people prepare for the application process.
Other educational materials in the kit include a DVD starring Mary G that explores the issues surrounding unlicensed and drink driving, a poster that encourages alternatives to drinking, and a DVD of Road Safety Council TV campaigns created by Goolarri Media.
It also contains several booklets including the Drive Safe handbook, a facilitator’s guide containing easy to understand factual information on the licensing process and drink driving, and a Strong Spirit Strong Mind booklet by the Drug and Alcohol Office containing information on Aboriginal ways to reduce harm from alcohol and other drugs.
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Images from the launch are available.
Media Contact: Elizabeth Jones, Office of Road Safety
0417 939 743 / elizabeth.jones@mainroads.wa.gov.au