An Adelaide school’s outstanding commitment to road safety education for nearly a decade has seen it recognised with the Bridgestone Excellence in Road Safety Education award as part of National Road Safety Week.

Nazareth Catholic College in Flinders Park, Adelaide, was presented with the Bridgestone Excellence in Road Safety Education at acknowledging the school’s emphasis on road safety education and adopting best practices in integrating the topic into the regular school curriculum.

The Bridgestone Excellence in Road Safety Education accolade is a joint initiative of the safety focussed tyre company and Road Safety Education Limited – facilitators of the leading RYDA program.

Colin Williams, RYDA Coordinator from the Rotary Club of Charles Sturt Grange, says Nazareth Catholic College continues to prioritise road safety education each year, and its commitment to support for the best-practice RYDA program has been unwavering in 2020.

“Despite the challenges of 2020, Nazareth Catholic College committed to working with Rotary and Road Safety Education Limited to arm their students with the important strategies and tools provided by the RYDA Program; making sure their 2020 cohort of students were given the same opportunities as those who came before them.”

“Nazareth have been attending RYDA for nine years, the longest continuing commitment by any school in South Australia to the program with over 1,650 students participating during this time.  They are most deserving winners of this award, and we are so proud to have supported them for many years."  

Nazareth Catholic College’s Assistant Principal, Christian Martino, says the school’s commitment to RYDA is a testament to the positive impact it has on students.

“As a Community, we feel privileged to work in partnership with the RYDA Program to support our young people to be safe, responsible and considerate of others,” Mr Martino said.

“Although the real-life stories and experiences that are shared through the program can challenge our students' thinking, they allow them to take away practical knowledge and expertise about how to be safe on the road. RYDA is an exceptional program.”

Bridgestone has been a proud supporter of the RYDA program since 2016, with the partnership reinforcing the company’s priority on mobility, people, and the environment as part of its ‘Our Way to Serve’, CSR initiatives.

According to Bridgestone Australia & New Zealand Communications and CSR Manager, Jo Hayes, Nazareth Catholic College exemplifies core objectives of the RYDA program.

“The RYDA program is effective in arming young drivers and passengers with a mindset that is centred around road safety, and we’re thrilled that Nazareth Catholic College prioritises the program each year in order to keep their students safe and create safer roads into the future,” Ms Hayes said.

“We’re delighted to present the Bridgestone Excellence in Road Safety Education award to Nazareth Catholic College for their commitment to the program over nine years. This dedication to RYDA highlights the impact the program has on students and the positive effect of their participation.

“Bridgestone’s ongoing support of the RYDA program is underpinned by our priority on supporting mobility, people and the environment, and the success of the program within Nazareth Catholic College highlights why this is such an important partnership,” she added.

RSE provides nearly 400 RYDA workshop days per year, reaching in excess of 640,000 students from more than 650 schools across Australia and New Zealand since its inception. 

“Our highly valued partner, Bridgestone helps make this possible,” added John Elliott, RSE's National Program Manager.

As part of the the RYDA program, students take part in a workshop which features a series of sessions led by expert facilitators who address laws, distractions, risk management, peripheral vision, and other motorists’ requirements.

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