More than 28,600 NSW high school students will be taken from the classroom to crash scenes at Australia's largest road safety event, bstreetsmart.
Now in its 21st year, the event continues to help educate young people about the responsibilities and potential risks of being a passenger and getting behind the wheel through an engaging, eye-opening experience focusing on awareness and choices.
The students aged from 16 to 18 years old, from 221 schools, will observe first-hand the consequences of a road crash, as they participate in the captivating education event at Sydney Olympic Park, from 5 to 7 August.
Founded in 2004, bstreetsmart is the brainchild of Westmead Hospital trauma nurses Julie Seggie and Stephanie Wilson. Their events have become well-known and respected for its real-life simulated crash scenarios and personal testimonials, which aim to help educate the next generation of drivers in NSW.
In 2024, young adults aged between 17-25 years old represented just 13 percent of all licence holders but accounted for 20 percent of all drivers and riders involved in fatal crashes.
In its inaugural year, bstreetsmart hosted 10 schools and was attended by 464 students.
Approximately 300,000 NSW high school students have attended bstreetsmart during its history, helping educate them to make safer choices on the road.
Transport for NSW has supported the event since 2015 and is contributing $310,000 to this year's program.
For more information, visit www.bstreetsmart.org
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
"I am incredibly proud of this program created in Western Sydney that has been educating our young people on road safety for more than two decades.
"bstreetsmart truly is a one-of-a-kind road safety program for our teens and will have a lasting impact in helping to reduce the overrepresentation of young drivers in traumatic road accidents."
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley:
"Tragically, this year we have seen more than 200 people lose their lives on NSW roads.
"That's more than 200 individuals taken too soon, countless families destroyed and communities impacted forever. If we want to see a change in these numbers, then it's driver behaviour that must change.
"This program teaches students early that they have a responsibility to themselves, their passengers and everyone else on the road every time they get behind the wheel."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison:
"bstreetsmart is a great program to remind and encourage young people to make safe decisions on our roads so everyone can return home safely.
"Learning to drive is an exciting time for young people, but driving is a privilege that comes with responsibilities and can have devastating consequences."
Quotes attributable to the Member for Parramatta, Donna Davis:
"With road crashes being a leading cause of death and serious injury among young people, bstreetsmart aims to educate and empower them to make safer choices."
Quotes attributable to Westmead Hospital Trauma Nurse, Julie Seggie:
"As a nurse I am passionate about wanting to keep our youth out of our trauma units and this program empowers students to make safer choices as drivers and passengers.
"bstreetsmart uses interactive experiences, real-life crash survivor stories, and engaging content to deliver a powerful learning experience-building a safer future for everyone."
Quotes attributable to NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan:
"Our frontline teams, the NSW Ambulance clinicians working on the road and in the air - along with our dedicated control centre staff experience firsthand the devastating impact of motor vehicle crashes far too often.
"NSW Ambulance is proud to support bstreetsmart, an essential program empowering young people to reduce the tragic toll of road trauma in our communities."
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