Wilson Security Racing GRM’s Scott McLaughlin has visited Brighton Secondary College, to drive home the message of road safety to secondary school students alongside Road Trauma Safety Services Victoria ahead of this weekend’s Wilson Security Sandown 500.
In the lead up to this weekend’s first round of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, the 22-year-old went back to school as part of V8 Supercars’ V8 Supersafe initiative.
As the official charitable partner for this weekend’s endurance classic, Road Trauma Support Services Victoria was also on hand, reminding young drivers to slow down on the roads.
The not-for-profit organisation cares for the safety and wellbeing of all road users, providing counselling and support services to members of the community affected by road trauma in a bid to reduce its devastating ripple effect.
The organisation also provides education programs addressing the behaviours and attitudes of drivers to reduce road incidents and the subsequent trauma and grief.
Road Trauma Support Services Victoria CEO Cameron Sinclair said the opportunity to join McLaughlin and the V8 Supersafe program at Brighton Secondary College was invaluable to their road safety efforts.
“As our kids begin to earn their road car licences, it’s important that we are educating them on road safety.
“Our road toll is already too high, so to install positive driver attitudes and behaviours at a young age could be the difference between life and death on the road.
“V8 Supercars has long been a champion for road safety among youth, so to partner its SuperSafe initiative and drive home the message of road safety among students was a fantastic opportunity.”
While McLaughlin reaches speeds near 300 kilometres per hour on the race track, the fast Kiwi explained his Volvo V8 Supercar is equipped with protective systems that keep him safe while he’s racing.
“When we hit the track, we can drive at extreme speeds and be completely safe because our V8 Supercars are built for that purpose,” he said.
“Road cars aren’t – they don’t have the same protective systems that we do – so it’s extremely important that road users are obeying the speed limit, for their own safety as well as other peoples.
“Our road toll is already too high and we should all be doing our bit to make sure our roads are as safe as possible. There’s a place for high speed driving on the race track, but not on our roads.”
Continuing their road safety efforts, Road Trauma Support Services Victoria will be at this weekend’s Wilson Security Sandown 500, auctioning off V8 Supercars merchandise and a double grid walk pass, valued at $2000.
