School Information
Dear Sir / Madam,
For the last five years, Westmead Hospital has held the Youth and Road Trauma Forum. This injury prevention program is open to students in years 10 to 12 in all government and non-government high schools in NSW and the ACT. The Forum is held at the Acer Arena, Olympic Park, Homebush Bay. Nearly 12,000 students from 103 high schools have attended in 2008. Evaluations of both students and teachers have received the event very positively with many schools attending consecutive years.
The forum is held because our youth are being severely injured and killed due to potentially preventable road crashes. The NSW statistics for 2005 for 17-25 year olds, recorded 6,487 casualties of road trauma and 111 deaths. These young people hold only 15% of licenses, but they are involved in 28% of crashes, which often result in hospitalization. Westmead Hospital's Trauma Service and NRMA Motoring & Services are committed to decreasing these numbers.The Forum provides students who are most at risk, a realistic look at the trauma caused by road crashes and gives them information and strategies in an attempt to reduce serious injuries and deaths. The Forum’s contents and structure aim’s to treat young people as adults allowing them freedom to choose from a range of interactive exhibits.
The new dates for the Youth and Road Trauma Forum 2010 are the 24th, 25th and 26th August 2010.
It is open to all high schools throughout NSW & the ACT and each school attends for only one of those days though if large numbers from one school are attending please feel free to book over 2 days. The venue is held at the Acer Arena, Homebush Bay, Sydney, 9:30am to 2:30pm.
Due to NSW State Government funding, the 2010 forum is now FREE to all schools. Schools will be contacted in regards to this change.
The day will include an exciting combination of demonstrations, crash dynamics and rescue, vehicle stopping distances and active exhibits. The forum will include displays relating to youth trauma and safety from:
-
Westmead Hospital’s Emergency Department
- Brain injury Unit
- Organ and Tissue Donation
- Drug and Alcohol Service
- The NSW Police
- Fire Brigade
- Ambulance Service
- Careflight
- St John Ambulance
- Red Cross
- Wheelchair Sports NSW
- Trent Driving Simulations
- Volvo Truck Rollover Simulation
The aim is to help young people make decisions that reduce their risk of being involved a crash.
Westmead Hospital hopes that your school is interested in participating. Due to the large numbers attending, it is advisable to book your school in now. Please feel free to contact The Trauma Service at Westmead Hospital for more information or to book your school into the Forum call 98457072.
Yours sincerely
Stephanie Wilson SWAHS Trauma Coordinator
Julie seggie Westmead Hospital Trauma Coordinator
