Transition year students are to be offered greater access to road safety classes amid concern over the number of deaths and serious injuries involving young people in recent years.
Last year there were 12 road fatalities among under-16s and 48 among the 16-26 age group, as well as more than 400 serious injuries.
The Road Safety Authority is developing the programme on foot of a request from Minister for Education Norma Foley to help change the road safety culture among young people in Ireland.
While there is a road safety module available for transition year students, which was developed in 2009, the feedback from some teachers is that the 34 class lessons are difficult to accommodate into a crowded timetable.
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A new shorter module will aim to use technologies and practical experiences for students, which were not available when the previous module was designed, and is likely to be ready for next September.
Ms Foley said many school communities have seen the horrific consequences of road collisions at first-hand.
“They have helped their students to cope with the loss of classmates on the roads, with the assistance of psychologists from National Educational Psychological Service. I know that we all united in our desire to play our part in reducing the number of road deaths and the devastation experienced by the families left behind,” she said.
“When I met the Road Safety Authority recently, I set them the challenge of developing a new TY programme as an immediate first step which could be taken to help change the road safety culture among our young people.”
She said transition year presents a “unique opportunity” to empower students with the knowledge and life skills they need as well to build an appreciation of the risks associated with road use.
Ms Foley said the fact that the proportion of students doing transition year has increased to over 80 per cent means more students may be able to benefit.
The Minister of State with responsibility for road safety, Jack Chambers, said that after many years reducing road deaths there has been a worrying upward trend of fatalities and serious injuries sustained in crashes.
“This new transition year programme is one of a number of important measures under way in this area and will complement other road safety initiatives including the ongoing work to modernise the driver testing curriculum as well a major youth stakeholder forum I am hosting later in the month with the RSA,” he said.
Road Safety Authority chief executive Sam Wade said it recently reached agreement with an experienced educator to lead focus groups with teachers as part of its work to have the new programme ready for September.
“We know from research that providing good quality evidence-based road safety education is arguably the most effective way to equip the entire population, over time, as to how to use the roads safely,” he said.
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