Driver Education

Youth Driver Expo 2023 - YDE Excursion

These excursions evolved out of a need to protect our young people after a series of tragic accidents in the early 2000’s. Our community has seen a repetition of such events with each new school generation and, if anything, the need and relevance of such excursions has only increased. 

It is a sad fact that young drivers die on our roads every day. Recent statistics show that 1 in 6 people will be killed or injured in a road accident between the ages of 15 and 25.  In the country the added factors of fatigue, long distances and dirt roads add to the risk of crashes occurring.  

In the past special guests have included families affected by road fatalities, doctors involved in saving lives, a person who was first at a fatality scene, people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, even a 22 year old released from prison for the day to discuss his own experience and involvement in a road fatality, and the personal consequences to himself and his passenger.

The YDE day will cover safety tips for seat-belt usage, braking techniques, insurance information, a Northwest region police presentation on the factors that most often cause accidents and interviews with road accident victims who have suffered brain injury.  The highlight of the day will be an accident re-enactment, including police, fire-brigade, ambulance and court processes.

Tenterfield Rotary are once again sponsoring this excursion so that there is NO COST for our Year 11 students!

Safe Driver Training – Safe Driving Training Excursion

Tenterfield High recognizes that the only way our students can become safe drivers is to offer students access to the very best in Safe Driver Training.  In addition to the Youth Driver Expo our students will be attending the Safe Driver Training course in 2023, at Carnell Raceway in Stanthorpe. 

At this course students will be exposed to car control techniques, focused on remaining control of a vehicle under breaking, steering and vision skills and looking ahead, thinking ahead to avoid dangerous situations.

Year 11 Students who attend the SDT course in 2023 will be eligible to participate in the Advanced Driver Course in 2024.  There are only 24 places available so first in best dressed.  Any student wishing to secure their place can pay a $64 deposit.

Last term in the Google Forms Mr Woodrow had students fill out, several students indicated that they wanted to attend but were undergoing financial hardship. The students who indicated this in the form can see Mr Woodrow to secure support.

Please note that the course is a discrete cost per school, not per student, so no refunds are possible on an individual basis.  More details are supplied on the enrolment form.  Payment of the $264.00 can be made at the THS Front office or via the Payment Online option. 

I would argue that this is the single most important excursion that a student may attend in their school life, and one that may save their life.  One of my favourite stories is where a student withdrew from the Advanced Driver Course (which included a dirt road driving component), suggesting that they knew everything they needed to know about driving, and two weekends after wrote off the family land cruiser on a local dirt road!

The move from Willowback to Carnell Raceway has reduced the cost of this excursion by $100, and again Tenterfield Rotary have agreed to fund the bus to and from the venue at no cost to the students.  Tenterfield Rotary have supported this excursion since its inception in 2005, some 18 years! 

Peter Woodrow