Youth road trauma statistics are staggering, but the enormity of the loss is often only realised when it hits close to home, impacting family, friends and a school community.

Young people from the region will become safer on the roads by participating in the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) program, scheduled to be held at the Murrumbidgee Rural Studies Centre, Yanco on February 23, 24 and 25.

This is the eighth year the program has run in the Riverina, with over 3600 students attending so far.

Secondary school students from Leeton, Barellan, Hay, Ardlethan, Lockhart, Oaklands, Yanco, Griffith and Narrandera are registered to attend the event.

The popular event is organised and supported by the Rotary Clubs of Leeton and Leeton Central and is the largest regional RYDA event in the country.

Leeton and Narrandera shire councils road safety officer Kym Snow said that RYDA was a professionally developed and maintained road safety initiative that delivered an integrated road safety education program to young people.

“The program is aimed at young people who are entering a stage in their lives where they are starting to drive or are passengers in vehicles driven by their peers,” Kym said.

“The program attempts to influence young people’s attitudes and behaviours before they get their licence.

“It is great that we can offer the program to local students and other schools in the Riverina.

“The program takes a student one day to complete, being recognised as part of the school curriculum.

“The amount of support received from the community and schools has been remarkable.”

The RYDA program is delivered by road safety professionals and is organised by the Rotary clubs of Leeton and Leeton Central, with the assistance of Leeton Shire Council, NSW Police, NSW Highway Patrol, NSW Ambulance Service and Greater Southern Area Health Authority.

More than 50,000 students in Australia and New Zealand attend RYDA each year.