The Western Australian Council of State School Organisations (WACSSO) welcomes the Cook Government’s investment in expanding the Road Smart program to Year 9 students, and its commitment to delivering road safety education to every Year 7 to 9 student across Western Australia over the next four years.

Road safety is an area WACSSO has long advocated for, including through our ongoing engagement on children’s crossings and active transport. We remain committed to initiatives that support the safety of students travelling to and from schools. Lasting change requires more than enforcement and infrastructure alone. Programs that support schools and families to work together to build safe behaviours play an important role in creating a culture of safety from an early age, equipping young people with the knowledge, attitudes and decision-making skills that will stay with them throughout their lives.

For many families, particularly those living in regional Western Australia, road safety is a very present and daily concern. Long travel distances, higher road speeds, heavy vehicle movements, and limited transport alternatives mean that the consequences of substandard infrastructure and unskilled drivers can be devastating for families and communities.

Programs such as Road Smart Interactive recognise that young people are not only future drivers, but current road users, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians navigating our roads every day. The immersive technology and scenario-based learning provide engaging experiences that help students understand the real-world consequences of choices relating to speed, distraction, fatigue, peer influence and protective behaviours.

Road trauma affects entire families and communities, and every life lost or person seriously injured on our roads leaves a lasting impact. Education alone is not the solution, but it is a critical component of the cultural shift needed to achieve safer roads for future generations. WACSSO looks forward to seeing this program reach every eligible student
across the state.

Comments attributed to Pania Turner, President, WACSSO:
“We are particularly pleased to see the program’s statewide reach and the commitment to ensuring that students across metropolitan and regional Western Australia have access to high-quality road safety education.”