Thousands of young people have gone through the Just 1 Life Road Safety Programme since 2006, and it was named the Best Community Transport initiative at the recent Local Authority Members Association awards.

It’s an initiative to promote road safety among 16 year olds, run by Wexford County Council and Wexford Rotary Club, and it has since spread to 16 other counties across Ireland.

Michael Brand of Wexford Rotary Club said the inspiration came from Down Under.

“In 2006, I was Rotary Club president and we had a visit from Sydney and they gave us the idea and the county manager and myself thought it was something worth doing.

“It’s a road safety programme for Transition Year students. What we do is – with the County Council – bring all the TY students in the county into the Opera House for five sessions, there are about 400 students a time.”

The young people are alerted to the dangers in a dramatic way at the time when they are most at risk.

“We know that nearly half of the fatalities on the road are aged between 16 and 30. We get representatives from the Gardaí, Mental Health Ireland, the ambulance service, the fire service and a consultant from the A&E in Wexford and we frighten the life out of the kids, because we tell it as it is,” said Michael.

• Just 1 Life in Wexford recently won recognition under the community transport category at the Local Authority Members Association awards.

No-one records accidents that didn’t happen, but there have been encouraging findings.

“I think we have been successful, although it is hard to quantify. Wexford is now one of the safest counties, if not the safest county for this cohort,” said Michael quoting statistics.

There are also signs that the youngsters do take the information on board.

“We do a survey afterwards and 95% pretty well every year say it was very good or excellent and has influenced their decisions.”

He has heard some encouraging anecdotal evidence too.

“I’ve had all kinds of things said to me. I was in a house in Wexford town one day and a young lady there said ‘Oh, I know you’ and we talked a bit about the programme. Her father said she had been a pain since she did it, she was always telling her father to slow down and her mother to get off the phone! So we know it is having some impact.”

Every school in Wexford takes part in the initiative, while other counties are now following its example.

“There are now Rotary Clubs in 16 other counties north and south that are doing it. There will be more next year and we’d like to see it right across Ireland.”

Michael was delighted with the award for the joint initiative between his club and the local authority.