The rates of losing young lives, aged from 15 to 24, in road accidents due to violent driving are extremely high. We are the students of Electro-Traffic Secondary school, so we feel obliged to inform and warn our peers on dangers awaiting them behind the corner. We all love fast cars and fast driving but always think and be cautious. Be responsible for your own and others' lives. Drive, but do not fly.
Tes Idées
According to the research of OECD/ECM rates of losing young lives in road accidents aged from 15 to 24 are high, up to 25 000 regarding countries of OECD and ECMT. Young drivers take part in about 20% to 30% of all accidents with deadly results.
A great number of road accidents happen at nights and weekends when accompanied with same aged persons, including over speed driving. Alcohol and not using the seat belts represent significant factors in traffic accidents where young drivers are involved – being injured or killed. Their alcohol tolerance is lower than of older drivers. Attention of young drivers under the influence of alcohol is reduced while their response time is prolonged. Young drivers possess less developed mechanisms of self control and under the influence of alcohol they become more emotional which
negatively affects their driving style. Studies have shown that young people tend to underestimate their actual level of intoxication. Mental and emotional immaturity, as well as the lifestyle of young people can increase the risk of accidents and the severity of consequences. Young people are very active at night and at weekends, they also tend to move in groups and sometimes consume alcohol and drugs. Circumstances when the risk of young drivers’ death is greatest, are: driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving at high speed, not wearing a seat belt, driving at night etc.
Tes initiatives
Joint efforts of all of us need to be made to ensure constant progress and that the young drivers’ risks are significantly reduced. The fields to focus on are driving speed, driving under the influence of alcohol and wearing seat belts.
The goal of peer education is increasing the level of young drivers’ awareness of the significance of safe behavior, existing risks and dangers, specifics of traffic accidents and effects of violent driving on safety.
We organized a panel "Drive, don’t fly“, among the secondary school population. The first school where the presentation was held was the Medical school, Kraljevo.
In our presentation to schools, we presented statistics and facts, showing that the victims of traffic accidents are most often young people aged 15 to 20, pointing out the importance of appropriate and adjusted speed while operating a motor vehicle.
The panel reached over fifty students and teachers who had the opportunity to try out "drunk glasses“ that simulate the changes in perception of a driver under the influence of alcohol. Glasses show the slowing down of response time and lengthening the vehicle’s stopping distance, both under the influence of alcohol and drugs (psychoactive substances).
We also presented the consequences of over speeding and unadjusted speed including the importance of wearing seat belts. We created a poem for a rap song in which we point out the violent behavior of young drivers as a result of inexperience, immaturity, often desire to prove themselves, impulsiveness, tendency to commit traffic violations, negative peer influence or even parents', night driving of most young drivers.
We created an app-game simulating the consequences of violent driving that students could download.
Due to the latest pandemic we had to reorganize our plans and ways of implementing the project. Since these problems we identified are everpresent, we decided to contact some headmasters to help us. We asked teachers-tutors of final grades to share with their students our material and devote a tutorial class to this topic. The project research and facts were presented through the google classrooms, also available on the site of our school. Students also could see the video playing the song on the topic and download the game. We received a great feedback with teachers and students’ approval and enthusiasm.
To summarize, the goal of our peer education: second, third and fourth year secondary school students who have attended the education show that they are aware of increased vulnerability of young participants in traffic, in other words they understand the significance of safe behavior; they are capable of identifying negative impacts, mostly of their peers while driving and to resist them. Students are able to promote safe behaviour and to have an effect on violent participants in traffic.
We asked teachers-tutors of final grades to share with their students our material and devote a tutorial class to this topic.
