Changing Gear - Road safety education - YES School Resource - New Zealand Police

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Road safety education - Changing Gear

A school road safety education programme

Years 9-10

PUB-L 995

Changing Gear is the junior secondary school programme in the Road Safe Series, produced by the Police Youth Education Service. The Road Safe Series is a co-ordinated series of programmes, providing young people with appropriate road safety skills and practises at all levels of their schooling.

Why is the programme needed?

Young people, especially young men, are in the highest risk category for road crashes. This is largely due to drinking and driving, but also to such things as excessive speed, driving without a licence, failure to wear a seatbelt, noisy passengers, unroadworthy vehicles and the inability to manage risks. It is not only the drivers who are at risk, but also their passengers.

Many of the young people that Changing Gear is aimed at are not yet driving. This is seen as an ideal time to instill positive attitudes and values, and a respect for the road rules, so that they will be prepared when the time comes to get their driver licence. They are, of course, already passengers, and so they will learn skills to keep themselves safe in vehicles.

What is the aim of the programme?

Changing Gear aims to empower young people to participate safely as responsible road users, aware of their own place in traffic, as well as that of others.

Who is it for?

The programme is designed for students in Years 9-10, that is aged 13 and 14. At this time they will have more independence and so will be travelling in vehicles driven by a wide range of people, including those only slightly older than themselves. They will be looking forward to getting a driver licence and interested in the process for doing so.

What are the objectives?

As they work through the programme, young people will:

  • have a basic understanding of traffic law and the consequences when these are broken;
  • understand the process for getting a driver licence;
  • identify pressures, road risks and hazards and respond appropriately;
  • make safe and sensible decisions as road users;
  • identify the attributes of a safe driver;
  • have an understanding of how speed affects safety, and of the forces and energy involved in movement on the road.

Where does Changing Gear fit within the school curriculum?

Changing Gear consists of 6 separate modules, one for each of the following curriculum areas:

  • English
  • Health
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Science
  • Technology

A series of lessons is provided for each subject, with associated resources. The activities are tied closely to the Achievement Objectives of the relevant curriculum documents. As well, links are made to the Essential Skills of the National Curriculum Framework.

The intention is that road safety education will be being taught within a subject context. This will allow for reinforcement of messages over a period of time.

What is covered in the programme?

Students are involved in a range of interactive activities around the following themes.

English:
  • analysing road safety advertisements;
  • responsibilities of drivers;
  • getting a driver licence.

Health:

  • identifying and managing road risks;
  • making safe decisions as a road user;
  • attributes and attitudes of a good driver.

    • Mathematics:

  • driver concentration;
  • road statistics;
  • reaction times;
  • stopping distances.

    • Social Studies:

  • how laws are made - The Land Transport Safety Act 1998;
  • the law in action.

    • Science:

  • speed and speed cameras;
  • night driving;
  • road surfaces;
  • collisions

    • Technology:

  • identifying and responding to hazards.

    • Who teaches the programme?

    Changing Gear

    is designed to be taught by the classroom teacher in each subject area, using police as resource people where appropriate. The teacher has the curriculum knowledge and expertise, while police are familiar with traffic laws and what can happen if these are broken.

    How are parents and community involved?

    Students will benefit when their road safety education is reinforced at home and when parents provide positive role models as drivers and passengers. Teachers should ensure that parents are aware that school road safety education is taking place, and should take advantage of opportunities within the programme to involve parents. Teachers are encourage to involve community people in lessons.

    How does the school get the programme?

    The Changing Gear programme will be sent straight to schools. The school should ensure that the relevant Heads of Department are given the appropriate modules. The local police education officer, who can be contacted through the nearest Police Station, will provide additional copies of the resource free of charge, and will assist as a resource person as appropriate.

    Produced by the Police Youth Education Service