School Information

Dear Sir / Madam,

For the last three years, Westmead Hospital and NRMA Motoring & Services have 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 2009 Youth and Road Trauma Forum

17, 18 and 19th June 2009.
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 will be Acer Arena (formerly known as the Superdome) Homebush Bay, Sydney, 9:30am - 2:30pm.We are offering your students an opportunity to participate in this free Forum. Transport to the forum is the responsibility of the school.

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
Driving Simulations
Volvo Truck Rollover Simulation
Subaru Car Safety Features
NRMA’s
- Mobile Member Centre
- NRMA vehicle safety experts,
- NRMA Safer Driving School.

The aim is to help young people make decisions that reduce their risk of being involved a crash.

Westmead Hospital and NRMA Motoring & Services hope 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

Anne Morphett Policy Advisor - Road Safety, NRMA Motoring & Services