The session will be held at Riverlinks Eastbank on Wednesday, July 1 at 6.40pm for a 7pm start.
The session is free, but registration is required.
The speakers are people who have been involved with collisions in different ways.
Major Collision Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant Stephen Hill will speak about the ‘fatal five’ causes of major collisions: speeding, fatigue, distraction, a lack of seatbelts and drink and drug driving.
Ambulance Victoria’s Brent Law will share his experience of the impacts of traumatic cases on paramedics, magistrate Heather Lambrick will speak about the courts’ perspective and Search and Rescue will be represented by volunteer Nicole Stanfield.
Sharon O’Dwyer will speak about her personal experience of losing her son, Mathew, who died in 2021.
Leading Senior Constable Brooke Alexander said the program aimed to change the attitudes of young drivers to prevent collisions and “realise there are serious consequences to dangerous driving”.
“I highly recommend it, the community response is always positive,” Leading Sen Constable Alexander said.
“You hear from the people who are cutting people out of cars.”
The event brings together the personal, medical and legal perspectives to give a complete image of how serious accidents can ripple out across the community.
The Cool Heads program started in Shepparton in 2008 and has since spread across the region.
“We had a young person who attended the program become a police officer who now wants to do a Cool Heads program down in Melbourne,” Leading Sen Constable Alexander said.
“They never forgot it.”
Register for Cool Heads at tinyurl.com/2zhx46ev
To receive a completion certificate, provide proof of photo ID to Mitchell.Bull@police.vic.gov.au
