The BRAKE driver awareness program began in 2006 and aims to reduce the number of fatalities on regional roads.
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Road crashes remain one of the leading causes of death in Australia, with two thirds of road deaths occurring in regional and remote areas despite only one third of Australians living there.
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The disproportionate number of fatalities in rural communities highlights a major gap in road safety education — something the BRAKE driver awareness program is aiming to address.
National Road Safety Week, held from May 17 to 24, carried the theme “Drive so others survive”.
BRAKE director and chief operating officer John Duncan said the campaign encourages Australians to reflect on the human impact behind the statistics.
“Last year, 1300 people lost their lives on the roads, and I think there’s a cultural belief that accepts this as a price to pay in Australia,” he said.
“When you really think about each of those statistics, it’s a family member or loved one who left on a journey and never returned home.
“So it’s a week to reflect, but also a week of hope and prevention to ensure we can try to get the road toll down to zero.”
Mr Duncan said regional areas continue to record the highest rates of road fatalities, with education often failing to reach the communities most at risk.
BRAKE’s education program targets students aged 14 to 16 before they begin driving independently.
BRAKE director and chief operating officer John Duncan with school students.
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The six to eight-week course focuses on emotional regulation, peer pressure, risk-taking and decision-making rather than simply teaching road rules.
Teachers complete online training through BRAKE before delivering the program in their own classrooms, making it easy for schools to implement.
“We’re aiming to build those positive safe habits in young people before they’re behind the wheel,” Mr Duncan said.
“One of the key things we teach young people is to assess the road conditions and decide whether it’s safe to travel at 100km/h, which often in regional areas it’s not.”
Mr Duncan said emotional regulation was another major focus of the program, particularly helping young drivers manage pressure and frustration behind the wheel.
“When someone’s tailgating you, you feel that pressure to speed up or make rash decisions,” he said.
“So we teach young people how to recognise those feelings and calm themselves down so they can make safe decisions.
Mr Duncan said surveys completed before and after the course showed strong improvements in attitudes towards road safety.
“We see about a 20 per cent increase in young people viewing road safety as important,” he said.
“We also see up to 95 per cent of students feel confident speaking up about unsafe behaviour from friends.”
The BRAKE program has now been taught across more than 200 schools.
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The program was founded in 2006 by Mr Duncan’s father, Rob Duncan, a police sergeant in regional south-east Queensland.
“After doing the 2am knock on parents’ doors too often, he said something needs to be done to help young people,” Mr Duncan said.
“Now more than 90,000 students have completed the program across more than 200 schools.”
An optional module on e-scooter and e-bike safety was also introduced this year after schools raised growing concerns about their use.
Mr Duncan said the program avoided fear-based tactics and instead focused on evidence-based strategies designed to resonate with young people.
“It’s focusing on not putting kids off driving but making sure they’re confident about being safe on the road,” he said.
Mr Duncan’s message to young drivers was simple.
“Look out for your mates and normalise telling them to drive safe.”
For information about the program, visit brake.org.au
