Fit to Drive (f2d) is a community program for young people that concentrates on personal safety and responsibility giving them strategies to make them safer on the road.
f2d actively encourages and empowers young people as road users to look after themselves and their friends.
The f2d focus is a Year 11 workshop in Secondary and TAFE Colleges that is facilitated by trained University students known as peer facilitators or Road Safety Ambassadors.
The Year 11 f2d workshop is an enrichment program that helps to coordinate other Victorian Traffic Safety Education initiatives that are explained in the core curriculum resource “Traffic Safety Essentials”.
The half day Year 11 workshop is directly funded by the local community and greatly assists young people to assert themselves in high risk situations where for example a driver is speeding or impaired.
Currently 150 State, Catholic and Independent Secondary Colleges are undertaking fit2drive in Victoria.
On this site you will resources such as current bookings, how to become a facilitator, student resources and how to get involved in the program. We are continually adding to the site, so please explore and come back regularly.
Description of the Program
The Fit to Drive program sits across the three senior levels of Secondary School: Years 10, 11, and 12.
Students participating in the F2d program experience:
In Year 10
VicRoads “Keys Please” Parent learner driver information sessions in all schools in the program (18 schools). The purpose of the Keys Please is to help learner drivers and parents to work together as partners, to achieve lots of varied driving practice and experience – at least 120 hours – before gaining a probationary licence. The session also provides information about driving and learning to drive and strategies to ensure that driving practices are fun, safe, purposeful and effective
Distribution of the RAcvFree2goPassport which provides discounted driving lessons sponsored by local driving schools to help young people achieve their 120 supervised practice hours and other give aways plus free road side assistance for 12months in any car
In Year 11
A Half Day F2D Workshop program held in all schools and delivered to Year 11's. The students begin by examining their own levels of risk taking and values and then empowers them to make safer decisions about what they can do to reduce road crashes.
Small groups of school students are facilitated by Road Safety Ambassadors - second and third year tertiary students who are undertaking youth work, social work, education and other human service courses
The facilitator trained tertiary students represent credible role models because they are close in age and experience to the young people they are working with.
The cooordinated program consists of a Police Prensentation of factual information focussing on speed, drugs, alcohol and fatigue. The activities also involve the emergency services, MFB/CFA indelivering a real life case study where the young people make decisions about how to avoid dangerous outcomes.
A Community Youth Forum held later in the year where young people from participating schools develop strategies to address road trauma in the local community. These students are usually the peer leaders who have been part of the half day workshop and who have been asked to develop the best and most creative ideas they can find in their school community to reduce the toll.
In Year 12
Screening of the TAC video “Muck up Day” coordinated across all schools, scheduled close to the end of the year and accompanied by small group discussions. This documentary looks at the circumstances and effects of a drink driving crash in which a year 12 student was killed. It examines how one poor decision can change the lives of so many people
Presentations by the Teenage Road Accident Group (TRAG). A group formed on the Mornington Peninsula who offers speakers who have endured the impact of road trauma and are involved in educating young people about the main factors that lead to road accidents
Looking after Your Mates presentations. This is an interactive session that is part of the “Good Sports Program” and is about responsible drinking, safe driving and looking after your friends
Community Events
An example of a community event: In the Mornington Peninsula, The annual Arthur’s Seat Challenge fun run/walk to raise funds for the program and develop community awareness of the issues. The event has extensive local media coverage and attracts large numbers
The Youth Forum for peer leaders in all schools is an annual community initiative that attracts significant media attention
The annual launch of the Year 11 Workshop program held at a participating school involving all of the road safety stakeholders
While the program undertaken in different areas of Melbourne may vary the core elements of Fit to Drive remain
Small groups of school students are facilitated by Road Safety Ambassadors - second and third year tertiary students who are undertaking youth work, social work, education and other human service courses