The ‘Traffic Offender Program’ has run since January this year. Participants are referred to the program by a court magistrate or the NSW Probation and Parole Service.
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Moree PCYC manager Andrew Ryan said he was also opening the course up to any parents who wanted their children to complete the course to increase driver awareness and to local solicitors who could also refer clients to the program.
Mr Ryan said the Moree PCYC runs the eight-module program over a six-week period.
The modules aim to improve a driver’s understanding of their responsibilities and of NSW traffic laws.
Barwon LAC youth liaison officer Jo White co-ordinates the program and has organised for local emergency services personnel, solicitors, members of council and Hunter New England Health to become involved in presenting the modules.
The first module is presented by police officers who explain the experiences of officers at accidents and the types of hazards which can be caused by inexperience or ignorance of road rules.
They also explain the penalties involved in disobeying the road rules.
Subsequent modules educate drivers on the accident scene, the impact of drugs and alcohol on driving, traffic accident injuries, the legal system, dangerous behaviour and stress management, and roads and vehicles.
The final module is a victim’s perspective. Guest speakers who have experienced the grief of losing a loved one to a road accident or are dealing with the effects of injuries inflicted in an accident talk about their experiences.
When the course is completed information on the participant is sent back to the court and may be taken into account for sentencing.
“The course has a high success rate of people not re-offending,” Mr Ryan said.
“It’s about saying, ‘yeah I’ve done the wrong thing and I want to re-educate myself’. People who participate in the program can see that if they do something wrong on the road there are consequences.”
The program was previously run in Moree from 2004 to 2008. Moree Plains and Gwydir shires road safety officer Kylie Kerr has been involved in both the previous program and the new one, and says the program definitely has an affect on offenders.
Mrs Kerr presents the ‘dangerous behaviour and stress management’ module, targeting drinking driving, speeding, fatigue and wearing seatbelts.
“I noticed that (the offenders) were learning... they could tell me back things they had learned in other modules,
“It’s definitely a positive thing for offenders,” she said.