The exercise will take place in Wandearah Road tomorrow in a program for teenagers that is sponsored by Rotary.

The Rotary Club of Port Pirie has introduced a couple of local schools to the program which combines practical demonstrations with some harrowing real-life experiences to teach students the importance of safety.

Rotary Youth Driver Awareness has had success in the eastern States where half-a-million students have participated.

Arriving in Port Pirie today, St Mark’s will be the first school to experience RYDA, followed by John Pirie Secondary School tomorrow. Rotarian Brian Rich-ards travelled to Clare to see how the program worked and was so impressed that he decided to help bring it to Port Pirie.

“The course is structured in a way that allows all students to experience and interact with a wide variety of different areas of road safety,” he said.

Over the course of a day, students take part in a variety of sessions including lectures from police officers and a practical demonstration of the importance of brake-timing.

The students will meet a man who became a paraplegic after a road smash.

“We have invited Rotary members from Port Augusta, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Kadina and Port Broughton to see the program for themselves,” Mr Richards said.

CAREFUL...John Pirie Secondary School services officer Maria Sgherza, pictured left, was excited for students of John Pirie Secondary School to be involved in the Rotary Youth Driving Awareness Program. Ashylee Jasper, back left, is on her P-plates while Scott Tattoli and Josh Haggard are on L-plates. The group was joined by Rotarian Brian Richards, right, at the school on Friday.