55 students from Rutherglen and Corowa High Schools attended the annual 'Cool Heads' presentation at Club Corowa on Wednesday 18 March. This free road safety event educates young learner drivers on the risks of driving.
'Cool Heads' has been held annually since 2011. Key student takeaways at this year's events included not texting while driving, taking driving seriously, paying attention to your surroundings, concentration and behaving in a safe manner at all times.
Students heard from:
- Police Sergeants Stephen Marshall and Mick Savage from Rutherglen and Corowa who provided valuable local insights and advice on road safety;
- Luke Fitridge, the Coordinator of the L2P program for Indigo Shire Council, outlining how this valuable TAC sponsored learner driver programs can assist learner drivers to gain their hours in cases where they may lack a licensed mentor driver;
- Vicki Richardson who shared her poignant story of loss following the tragic 2012 death of her daughter Brooke due to distracted driving;
- Volunteer Rescue Association who shared their firsthand experience of road trauma and crashes.
Students rated the 2026 'Cool Heads' event very highly with an 89% overall rating. This was up significantly from 2025's 71% rating.
Federation Council Mayor, Cr Cheryl Cook, said road safety is a key issue for our young drivers. "The 'Cool Heads' event brings the next wave of young learner drivers in our region, face to face with local police, emergency services and families who have experienced trauma through road crashes. Being cross-border reflects the real world we live in where young drivers regularly travel interstate for work, education, sport and social activities. Different rules apply to L and P platers in NSW and Victoria, so Cool Heads allows us to discuss these in addition to the general risks and responsibilities that come from gaining a driver's licence", she said.
