By Mr Mitchell Joyce-Griggs, Secondary School Teacher

A group of 18 Year 10 students volunteered to attend the P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) program at Canberra Hospital, accompanied by myself and Ms Edwina Bone. We were met by Nardine and Tracy, two nurses with a background in treating trauma.

Our students learned about the concerning statistics around collisions, trauma and fatalities in their demographic as new drivers between the ages of 15-25 and the troubling influence of the 'fatal five' factors influencing our road toll and increasing risks to drivers, passengers and pedestrians. These include:

• Device use and distracted driving.
• Fatigue.
• Substances or impaired driving.
• Speed.
• Not wearing seatbelts.

Students learned that for drivers of their age, it is recommended they have at least 10 hours of sleep per night to avoid fatigue and that an increase of just 10km/h over the speed limit can double this risk of death or serious injury.

We also heard from two police officers representing the ACT Police's Major Crash Investigation Team. They shared their experiences and insights into the factors driving motor vehicle and motorcycle collisions and the 'ripple effect' that these have on not only those directly involved, but their friends, families and community.

Students engaged in hands-on activities with a simulated patient in a resuscitation or 'resus' bay, which receives patients involved in collisions in the emergency department. These patients often have multiple and complex injuries and a poor prognosis of survival or total recovery. This process continued as our students learned about the work of nurses in the ICU who are engaged in the daily care and monitoring of patients who often cannot manage the basic functions of life. We also heard from Matt, a nurse and representative of Donate Life, the organisation that facilitates organ donations and directly cares for patients and their families through this very difficult and life-giving process.

The students also learned through a suite of practical activities how the work of speech pathologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists assists people on their journey to living in a ‘new normal’ of physical and cognitive function.

We are deeply thankful to Nardine, Tracy and all those named and unnamed workers and volunteers working for the P.A.R.T.Y program to provide this valuable opportunity to young people in our community. Our take-home message was to 'own the choice and own the consequences,' because almost always what we described as 'accidents’ started with preventable choices.