Over 17,000 students attend RAC bstreetsmart event as young people remain overrepresented in car crashes

It was fun at first… a group of young friends are at a party, but then it’s time to move on and someone offers to drive. ‘It’s okay’ he texts in the group chat, he doesn’t drink, ‘everything’s fine’ to get behind the wheel.

But she’s… speeding and gets distracted by a friend in the backseat trying to show her a boob on her phone. There’s a screech of brakes… and when the lights come on at the RAC Arena, 17,000 WA youth face a nightmare.

Grade 10 to 12 students were faced with the reality of speeding, distracted driving and not wearing seatbelts last week as the horrific consequences of a fully staged car crash played out before them in real time.

Students from more than 150 metro and area schools were participating in RAC’s bstreetsmart, which held full-day sessions on March 31 and April 1.

The annual event has provided a stark look at the life-changing consequences of young drivers failing to drive safely, and this year it also offered a stark warning from an emergency medicine specialist about the extra vulnerabilities they face when using e-devices.

RAC head of communications Rhys Heron said young drivers continued to be disproportionately represented in serious crashes on WA roads, with drivers aged 17 to 20 being six times more likely to be involved in a car crash.

“RAC bstreetsmart provides vital road safety training, ensuring students have a clear understanding of the consequences of unsafe behavior and the significant responsibilities that come with driving,” he said.

“The program presents the realities of road trauma in a direct and uncompromising way, and our aim is to ensure that participants walk away realizing how one small decision or mistake can lead to life-changing tragedies.”

Students observed a re-enactment of a real-life collision scene, including emergency services from St John WA and WA Police arriving at the scene. One teenager was trapped in the vehicle, and another teenager, who was not wearing a seatbelt and was distracting the driver with his phone, was thrown from the vehicle.

After the crash, another group of teenagers arrived and we were faced with an agonizing but realistic wait for first responders.

A number of guest speakers gave personal insights on road safety, including Robert Pike, who lost three friends and his lower legs in a car crash when he was 17, and Royal Perth Hospital trauma surgeon Rohit Sarvepalli.

Road policing command commander Mike Bell said the incident was particularly timely given the recent rise in unsafe driving behaviour.

“We continue to see crashes involving young drivers who fall victim to the ‘fatal five’ and continue to be over-represented in fatal and serious crashes,” he said.

“These are speeding, fatigue, impaired driving, alcohol and drugs, distraction, cell phones and not using seat belts.”

Latest data from the Road Safety Commission shows WA recorded 184 deaths last year and 45 had already been recorded by March 31 this year.

St John WA responded to 6899 motor vehicle crashes in 2025; This corresponds to an accident approximately every 90 minutes.

An 11-year-old boy has become the fifth person to die on WA roads after his scooter crashed into a car over the Easter long weekend, while a 19-year-old woman was seriously injured when she fell off the bonnet of a car driven by another 19-year-old.

St John WA chief protective officer Megs O’Donnell said PerthNow students needed to learn the basics of first aid to keep themselves and their friends safe in the event of an accident.

“Having the confidence to stand up and be a first responder on WA roads when an ambulance is on the road is hugely important for the confidence of both drivers, the patients they assist and the ambulance crews responding to a traffic accident,” he said.

“St John WA is incredibly proud to continue supporting RAC bstreetsmart, demonstrating how any driver can learn the skills and confidence needed to become a first responder and potentially save a life.”

The RAC bstreetsmart event has reached more than 125,000 students since its inception in 2012. St John WA has been a supportive partner since the program’s inception.

Stating that up to 15 percent of deaths in traffic accidents can be prevented with timely first aid, Ms. O’Donnell said that the message is important.

“First aid skills on WA roads can absolutely save lives,” he said.

“St John WA has long advocated for first aid training to be made available to people in the licensing process and has launched a free 15-minute online training. First Aid for Me To support this, of course.”

RAC is also set to undertake the bstreetsmart initiative on the road, touring regional WA to provide a similar experience as the RAC project road smart.