Rodney Stevens

Driving a car is the most dangerous thing many people will do in their lives so about 200 Clarence Valley year 10 students were educated with the tools and tips to be safe drivers recently through the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness RYDA program.

Coordinated by the Maclean Rotary Club, with volunteer support from Iluka Woombah Rotary Club and Grafton Midday Rotary Club, and lunch provided by Yamba Rotary Club, the RYDA program has been running for past 15 years using a vehicle kindly provided by O’Halloran Motors, Maclean.

Glenn Brown of Maclean Rotary Club said the RYDA program ran on Thursday and Friday, August 22 and 23 at the Raymond Laurie Sports Centre complex at Yamba, with students completing 6 interactive driver education sessions, followed by demonstrations of correct driving techniques and braking methods.

“On Thursday we had students from Maclean High School and Pacific Valley Christian School, then on Friday students from McAuley Catholic College, Clarence Valley Anglican School and St Andrews Christian School attended,” he said.

Mr Brown said three Coffs Clarence Police District highway patrol officers participated in the RYDA program over the two days.

He said the program, which has educated thousands of Clarence Valley youth over the past 15 years, ran smoothly due to the help from the wonderful volunteers from Rotary Club’s across the Clarence Valley.

“We got some terrific evaluations from some of the teachers from the schools involved,” Mr Brown said.