By Kath Gannaway
It’s no co-incidence that the TRIP (Teenage Road Information Program) is held at Heritage & Heritage Funerals in Woori Yallock.
Many, hopefully most, of the young people who attend TRIP each year will not have attended the funeral of a friend or relative killed on the road.
The sad thing is that too many will have, and those in the local emergency services will also have played a role.
The combined Yarra Valley emergency services – CFA, SES, Police and Ambulance – will present the fifth TRIP on Wednesday, 1 August, and the target audience is 16 to 25 year-olds and their parents.
Hillcrest CFA Captain Fiona Burns and Warburton Police Sergeant Tom Wilkinson are on the committee which dedicates months of planning to the program.
Capt Burns said although TRIP is primarily aimed at changing teenage driving behaviour, most adults walk away reassessing their own driving behaviour.
“The program gives an in-depth insight into what happens to road crash victims and the aftermath from injuries and fatalities,” Capt Burns said.
“It is designed to be a hard hitting presentation by the very people who attend the crash scene and know first-hand the devastation caused.”
The program addresses identified risks of alcohol, drugs, speed, inexperience, distraction and peer group pressure and provides information and example of how to change behaviour.
Speakers provide real life personal examples of the short and long term effects of road trauma.
Addressing concerns about the graphic nature of the program, Capt Burns said the program is not about traumatising or scaring young people.
“It’s not blood, guts and gore – they can see that on a video game. It is confronting but living with the trauma of a road crash is more confronting.
“We want it to be thought provoking. We want them to have conversations with family, friends and mates and to help their mates out and make the right decisions.”
Sgt Wilkinson said the growth of TRIP shows there is a need and an appetite for it in the Yarra Valley.
The first TRIP was held in 2011.
“Our expectation for the first TRIP was if we had 50 turn up we would be over the moon,” he said.
“We had 300 people turn up and more than 500 people last year.
“These numbers show that the community has concerns, are passionate about saving the lives of our local young people and are embracing this,” he said.
TRIP is sponsored by the Wandin/Seville and Woori Yallock Community Bank Branches of Bendigo Bank.
The 2018 Yarra Valley Emergency Services TRIP will be held on Wednesday, 1 August starting at 6.30pm at Heritage & Heritage Funerals in Healesville Kooweerup Road, Woori Yallock. RSVP to yarra.valley.trip@gmail.com . Visit facebook Yarra Valley TRIP for more information.
