Real Stories, Real Impact – Year 10s at RAC bstreetsmart

March 27, 2025

Our Year 10 students recently attended the RAC bstreetsmart event at RAC Arena, a confronting and powerful day that brought the harsh reality of road trauma into focus.

A Scene That Hits Hard

The day began with a live crash re-enactment involving three young people and a motorcyclist. It was an intense and realistic simulation, with emergency services responding just as they would in real life. The result? One person is jailed, another suffers life-changing injuries, and one doesn’t survive.

Watching it unfold, students could see, in stark detail, just how quickly a poor decision behind the wheel can change everything.

Real Stories, Real People

The most powerful moments came from the people who stood up and shared their stories. One of those was Rob Pike, who lost his three best mates and both legs in a crash when he was in Year 12.

His story really stayed with our Physical education teacher, Parris Laurie.

“Rob said he had driven faster, in worse conditions, more distracted and nothing had ever gone wrong before. But on that day, all those things collided, and this time, it wasn’t okay. You never know when it will happen. All we can do is reduce our risks as much as possible and encourage those around us to do the same. That really stuck with me.”

Learning from Lived Experience

During the break, students chatted with emergency responders, asking questions and exploring their equipment. In the afternoon, they heard more personal accounts from people who had lost loved ones, been injured, or ended up in prison because of one wrong choice on the road.

What Our Students Said

After the crash, we saw the boy’s mum waiting for him to get home. But instead, it was the police who came to her door. That was sad and had a big impact on me.” Zoe

“It’ll help me make better decisions, especially when I’m old enough to drink. I won’t let myself get peer pressured, and I’ll organise a safe ride home.” Kyla

“Rob Pike… He has to live with that trauma for the rest of his life. And without his best mate.” Annabelle

An Experience That Stays with You

The RAC bstreetsmart event doesn’t just draw attention to road safety. This event was also about responsibility and realising how quickly life can change. Our Year 10s left with a deeper understanding of the consequences that can come from one moment behind the wheel.

More importantly, they were reminded of their power to make good decisions, speak up, and look out for the people around them.

We hope this experience starts conversations at home, too. Sometimes, the most important lessons don’t come from the classroom; they come from seeing, feeling, and truly understanding.

Decision-Making, Featured, RACbstreetsmart, Real-lifeLessons, RoadSafety, RoadTrauma, SchoolExcursion, StudentLearning, Year10, YouthAwareness

Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.