A PROPOSED fee for the participation of highway patrol police threatens to stop the expansion of a Rotary program credited with reducing accidents involving young drivers in St George and Sutherland Shire.
U-Turn the Wheel, which is conducted for year 11 students at school, is strongly supported by many principals and state MPs including Mark Speakman (Cronulla) and Lee Evans (Heathcote).
About 90 schools, including 30 in St George and the shire, have embraced the five-hour program, which addresses risk-taking behaviour in young drivers and encourages them to exercise more control over their decisions.
Official figures show a 30 per cent drop in crashes involving drivers aged 17-20 in the shire, where all school participated, between 2009 and 2012. Figures for all of Sydney, excluding the shire, showed a 1 per cent increase for the same period.
The program costs $10 a student, which covers a charge by the NSW Ambulance Service, Youthsafe and St George Youth Services.
But Rotary co-ordinator Martin Tabone was informed by the office of Police Minister Stuart Ayers a charge would be imposed for police to be involved if the program expands into more schools.
The decision appears to be based on the unwillingness of the government's Centre for Road Safety to endorse or recommend the U-Turn the Wheel program.
This is despite the fact the centre praised it before the government last year introduced the Safer Drivers Course, which is run mostly by driving schools. The course, which gives learners 20 hours of log book credit towards their licence, costs $140, with Roads and Maritime Services contributing a further $140.
It involves a a three-hour group discussion on managing risks and a two-hour, in-vehicle session with a coach and another learner.
Mr Tabone, of Rotary Caringbah, said all programs that helped young drivers to be safer were beneficial, but he believed U-Turn the Wheel courses offered something others did not.
"We involve a range of experts, particularly police and paramedics, who see so many accidents and the effects they have on young drivers and their families," he said.
"They are in a unique position to talk of those experiences and the students really take that in.
Mr Tabone said a charge of more than $10 a student would deter many schools, because they would consider it unaffordable for some families.
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT
Eleven state high school principals in St George have signed a letter calling for the state government to support the U-Turn the Wheel program.
‘‘The students evaluate the program very highly,’’ the letter, addressed to state MPs from the area, said. ‘‘A critical part of the program is the direct involvement of the police and ambulance officers. Their expertise, experience, insights and dedication are apparent to students who rate their input very highly.’’
Cronulla High School principal Tony Ibrahim is among shire principals who support the program. ‘‘It is a wonderful program that must be expanded to all schools,’’ he said. ‘‘It is essential that funding is made for this as our youth need this type of education to minimise the carnage that is occurring on the road.’’
POLICE NON-COMMITTAL
Police assistant commissioner John Hartley was non-committal about introducing a charge if the program was expanded.
‘‘The Traffic and Highway Patrol Command has no intention of withdrawing from the current program and rule out charging for its involvement,’’ he said in a statement.
The head of the Centre for Road Safety Margaret Prendergast said the centre ‘‘does not run an accreditation system’’.
In an email to Mr Tabone, Ms Prendergast said the centre had contracts to deliver three main young driver safety programs.
They included school education, kindergarten to year 10, with extra modules in years 11 and 12, the Safer Drivers Course and the B Street Smart course.
In addition ‘‘numerous other communication forums’’, including police attending local events, were supported.
‘‘The issue you seem to be facing is the user charging regime for police resources,’’ Ms Prendergast wrote.
‘‘Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with funding of these resources to attend your initiative.’’
Do you think a charge should be made for police involvement in the Rotary program?
