RYDA Cheltenham Sec College 2026

Our task as Rotarians was to simply accompany the students as they moved around the venue as they attended each of the 6 stations. For those not familiar with the program it involves 6 different sessions of about 40 minutes each in which different aspects of driver education are addressed. The sessions are conducted by fully trained people are are very interactive. The students are encouraged to be involved in the sessions and have a workbook which they work through as the day progresses. A number of staff members also attend (at least 10) and they also receive teaching materials and advice. The aim is that training does not necessarily cease after this one day.

 

The program is NOT a driving program. The students do not get to drive a car. With the exception of the one session where they actually observe a physical vehicle undergoing emergency stops, all sessions are addressing the attitudes and emotions associated with driving. Students are taught about speaking up when feeling unsafe and the importance of considering other road users. They learn about positioning themselves on the road and how their driving can be affected by their feelings and distractions. They also learn some pretty hard facts about the dangers of driving and the consequences of a serious accident.