An evaluation of the Safe Drive Stay Alive road safety presentation ...

23the mechanics of driving (changing gears, using the clutch). These tended to bestudents who had older siblings/cousins who could drive, and so had a more detailedidea of what driving would entail.For all, driving was about freedom and independence, going where you want to go,when you want and being free from having to rely on parents or older sibling for lifts.Fear and the need to be a careful and safe driver had not been a top of mindassociation with driving at that point in time.Experiences as drivers/passengersMost students‟ personal experience of driving was fairly limited (still illegal at theirage); although some had had previous diving experiences on private land (a localhippodrome) and others had practiced with go-karts on specialised tracks.With regards to being a passenger, there were many accounts of the driver (friends,family) being imprudent or driving dangerously, and even a few personal experiencesof being involved in collisions. Such dangerous driving behaviours would range fromtalking on phone, not wearing seatbelt to swerving on the road, driving too fast orunder the influence (mainly alcohol). Some students reported having previouslyencouraged such behaviour, urging the driver to go faster, turn up the music orwould actively distract the driver. Mostly, even though this behaviour in the drivermight cause worry and concern, students did not felt hat they were able to sayanything. In fact, if the offending driver was one of their parents, then the offencesundertaken were more likely seen to be acceptable. In only a small minority ofcases, students felt that they were able to tell the driver and ask them to stop theirbehaviour.“I don’t mind if my mum or dad are on the phone in a car, but if I got in someoneelse’s car and their mum was on the phone I’d be, tell them to get off of it. Withyour mum and dad you feel safe.”“My cousin goes down the road like crazy speed, swerving all across the road to tryand have a laugh.”“Sometimes when my dad drives really fast it like scares me but I’m kind of alrightabout it.”