Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) program to be held in Leeton

Published on 28 April 2022

Senior high school students will be challenged to change the way they think about road safety when they participate in the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) program to be held on 2 - 4 May 2022 at the Yanco Agricultural Institute. 

The Rotary Clubs of Leeton and Leeton Central are continuing their partnership with industry leader, Road Safety Education Limited (RSE) to bring the award winning youth road safety program to Year 11 students from 15 high schools from across the region. 

RYDA is RSE’s award winning road safety education program which has been available since 2001 and has seen over 600,000 students attend the workshop across Australia and New Zealand. 

The workshop content has been developed according to best practice guidelines for road safety education in consultation with road safety experts, professional bodies, government and the educational sector and includes the latest research. 

Leeton RYDA facilitators will include NSW Police Officers, Council Road Safety Officers, driver trainers and crash survivors. 

The RYDA program is a series of practical and powerful workshops that provide students a unique opportunity to learn essential life skills at a critical time in their lives. It takes each student one school day to complete the program. 

“Whether driving or travelling with friends every young person contributes to the safety of the road users around them - RYDA gives students the tools and strategies they need to make good choices from any seat in the car,” said Stephanie Puntoriero, Leeton Shire Council’s Road Safety Officer. 

Leeton RYDA has been held at the Yanco Agricultural Institute annually and this year will see the 5,000 students participate in the program since 2008. 

Over 400 students are registered for the 2022 highly engaging and memorable one day program which will be held from May 2 to 4. 

Students attending are from schools in Leeton, Yanco, Narrandera, Griffith, Hay, Ardlethan, Barellan, Coleambally, Hillston, Lockhart, Ariah Park and Oaklands.

"We are very excited to be offering the program to local students and students from other areas of the Riverina with some students travelling several hours to attend our well organised event,” said Mr David Lang, Leeton Central Rotary Club. 

RYDA is made possible through the support of RSE’s corporate partners - BOC, Toyota, Bridgestone, MTAA Super and Boral. Locally RYDA is supported by NSW Police Force through Murrumbidgee Police District, NSW Police Youth Command, Murrumbidgee Traffic and Highway Patrol Command; Leeton, Narrandera Council; Griffith City Council; Wagga City Council and Yanco Agricultural Institute.