Around 9,000 (former!) Year 12 students will travel to Dunsborough and surrounds before official celebrations kick off on Monday 18 November.
Many will have been planning for months, if not years. And who can blame them? Leavers is a rite of passage. It is not just the end of school. It marks the end of the School era (shout out to all the Swifties) and the beginning of a life of possibilities beyond the four walls of the classroom. It’s freedom, friendship and fun. And it’s happening 247km away.
This is arguably the best bit. But for many parents, it’s also the worst. No matter what your parenting style, waving your 17 or 18 year-old off to spend four days with 8,999 other 17 or 18 year-olds, 247km from home, is uncomfortable. At best. At worst, it’s absolutely terrifying.
Now add cars to the mix and the anxiety kicks into a new gear, pardon the pun. And for good reason.
Now what?
We plan. We plan, together, for them to leave. And then come home.
The Road Safety Commission has put together a Leaver’s Checklist to put this planning at the forefront of families’ minds.
It’s pretty basic stuff. If they’re travelling in a car rather than taking the bus or being driven by Mum or Dad, make sure it’s a safe choice. Make sure the tyres are in good nick and the pressure is right. Check all the fluids are topped up and all the lights are working.
You’ll want to know they’re planning on stopping about half way because it is best to take a break every two hours and swap drivers if possible. The Crooked Carrot is hard to beat for a stop smack bang in the middle of Perth and Dunsborough. I am also partial to a pie from the Miami Bakehouse for good measure and there are plenty of fuel stations and rest stops along the way.
Looking out for fatigue will be even more important for the trip back after a week of late nights.
These conversations are so important when it comes to keeping our kids safe on the road. Planning is so important when it comes to keeping our kids safe on the road. But at the end of the day, talk is just talk and plans are just plans. What happens, the decisions they make when we’re not there, is up to them. That’s the rub.
Real mates get everyone home safe.
Real mates understand when they’re behind the wheel, their mates’ lives are quite literally in their hands. They understand their life and their mates’ lives are worth protecting. And so is every life on the road. They don’t show off. They show up.
And it’s not just drivers who need to be real mates. Real mates call out someone who shouldn’t be driving. They make sure everyone is wearing a seatbelt.
They take control of the maps and music so the driver can focus on driving.
This Leavers and beyond, we need more real mates on the road.
So, I guess my message is actually – Leave. Be a real mate. And come home.
Whether you're a Leaver hitting the open road or a parent sending your graduate off, the Road Safety Commission’s Leaver’s checklist will help make sure everyone gets home safe. Visit the campaigns page to find out more about the ‘Be a Wheelmate’ campaign.
