Students hit the Road To Zero with new safety complex at Melbourne Museum
Victorian students will start their journey to becoming safer drivers well before they hit the road, following the opening of Victoria’s world-first road safety education complex.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan joined the Transport Accident Commission and Museums Victoria today to officially open the $55 million Road to Zero Education Complex at the Melbourne Museum.
Young people are some of Victoria’s most vulnerable road users so it’s critical that we find new ways to get them thinking about safety before getting their licence. TAC research shows young drivers aged 18 to 25 accounted for 24 per cent of deaths on Victoria’s roads last year.
The complex features the latest in visual and digital technology to help students and the wider community understand their own vulnerability, the role of speed in crashes and the importance of safer vehicles. Designed to ensure students don’t feel stuck in a classroom, interactive learning studios will allow students to complete practical tasks that link with their health and science curriculums.
Students in years 9 and 10 will start visiting the Road to Zero in term four, with more than 20,000 students expected to flock to the complex in its first year. A regional outreach program will ensure students across the state who are unable to access the complex in Melbourne don’t miss out.
Road to Zero is the cornerstone of the Victoria Government’s $146 million Young Driver Safety Package which aims to reduce road trauma among young people and cement Victoria as a leader in road safety education.
Road to Zero was developed by the Transport Accident Commission in partnership with Museums Victoria and was co-designed with road safety and teaching experts.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan:
“The earlier we can start a conversation around road safety – in classrooms, on-road or amongst friends and family, the better equipped young Victorians will be to drive safely.”
“We know young people learn best when material is presented in an interactive and engaging way, and that’s exactly what this world leading centre will deliver.”
Quote attributable to TAC Chief Executive Officer Joe Calafiore:
“In their first year of driving, young drivers in Victoria are almost four times more likely to be involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than more experienced drivers. That’s why it’s so important to teach safe driver behaviour, to all Victorians, at an early age.”
Quote attributable to Museums Victoria Chief Executive Officer Lynley Marshall:
“We are delighted to be presenting this important exhibition at Melbourne Museum. The result is a world-first learning experience for young adults that uses immersive technology to explore the physics of motion and the limits of the human body.”
