A spate of tragic road fatalities in the last few years has made community members in Coonabarabran all the more determined to educate its young drivers.  

Simon Tighe from the Coonabarabran Rotary Club told the Western Plains App the horrific crashes had left their mark on the community.  

"I think the main ingredients in those crashes were alcohol and speed," he said. "They all also involved young drivers, so I wanted young drivers to be aware that once they get behind the wheel, it's a potential weapon."  

It was a message the Coonabarabran Rotary Club wanted to get across at a recent RYDA Road Safety Day, which aims to teach young drivers to make better decisions and reduce road trauma.  

"It is to make kids in year 11 and 12 that are getting their l and ps - more aware of road rules, road choices, fatigue, drinking, drugs, and peer pressure," Tighe said.  

The workshop was run in conjunction with an organization called Road Safety Education.  

"In the RYDA workshop, we have six interactive sessions," Michelle Remy, a regional program coordinator with Road Safety Education, said.  

"The main thing is empowering young people and giving them strategies to be safer on the roads. Young people are the most vulnerable road users when they go from their L plates to their P plates. As soon as their mentor goes out, their crash statistics go up, so a lot of it is just being inexperienced on the road".  

"So we work with students how to strategize and work on being a safer driver."  

Remy said the workshops focused on topics like peer pressure, emotions when driving, and road risk factors with certain personality types. 

"We look at mind space - how it might impact on how you drive, like if your angry, you might be more prone to speed or misjudge situations."  

Image: Visit NSW. 

She told the Western Plains App workshop facilitators told students not to get in the car if they were feeling distracted by stressors.  

"Personality type looked at whether or not you are a risk taker, or whether you are a social driver, and whether or not you are someone to speak up if you have concerns."  

"Police attended to explain what happens with the graduated licensing system and what the penalties are."  

She said the day is also attended by a young driver with lived experience of a crash, and the students unpack how that crash occurred from a safety viewpoint.  

Tighe said 61 young people attended the workshop in Coonabarabran.  

"They were also shown videos of a young driver who is now a paraplegic and the parents of a young driver killed in a road accident talking about the impact on them."