Road safety, not fire safety, brought MFS firefighter Jarred Stallard to the Yorke Peninsula this week.
As part of the Yorke Peninsula MFS Road Awareness Program (RAP) tour, Stallard has been joined by road crash survivor Yudhi Mohan-Ram who was T-boned whilst on his motorbike, leaving him in a coma for 46 days with a 10% chance of survival.
The RAP focuses on the role of all road users, encouraging and empowering students to speak up against selfish behaviour. This year’s program will have a focus on motorcycles due to the current concerning statistics.
Since January 2021, there have been 761 fatalities on South Australian roads. Motorbikes represent 3.6% of all vehicles on our roads but currently account for 20% of deaths.
The pair have presented the RAP program in Kadina, Moonta, Minlaton and Ardrossan so far with a final stop on Thursday at the Yorketown Area School. Stallard makes no apologies for the graphic and emotional nature of the presentation.
“We want everyone to be aware of the risks involved with being a road user and the dangers that face young people in the region," Firefighter Jarrad Stallard said..
"We are not saying ‘don’t ride motorcycles’, we just want everyone to be aware of the risks involved with being a road user and to make informed choices.”
A feature of the program is emotional presentations from road crash survivors. Mr Yudhi Mohan-Ram describes, in detail, the impact that being involved in a road crash incident has had on his life.
“My crash left me in a coma with a bruised heart, broken bones throughout my whole body and reduced lung capacity,” Yudhi said.
Yudhi’s injuries prevent him from working full time, so he instead spends his time volunteering. He is determined to focus on educating young drivers through the MFS RAP.
YUDHI TELLS HIS STORY TO JASON FROM COUNTRY VIEWPOINT