Road Safety EXPO a winner during Road Safety Week

Students from St Andrews College & St Augustines College sat in silence as the demonstration kicked off with smoke, screams and blood

Cairns Police once again hosted the Road Safety EXPO as part of the 2017 Queensland Road Safety Week.

With help from our colleagues within the QFES Road Crash Rescue Unit, Queensland Ambulance, Department of Transport & Main Roads (TMR), Drive2Live and Cairns Bike Users Group, we put on a show for more than 500 school students and members of the public.

Our Australian Champion QFES Road Crash Rescue Team from Cairns performed three exercises throughout the day, simulating serious crashes.

They used this as not only an important opportunity to educate school students and members of the public, but also as extra practice before they fly out to Europe to represent Australia in the Road Crash Rescue World Championships.

This year we saw a very interactive display with volunteers posing as trapped victims.

Fake blood and smoke along with screams ensured spectators experience a realistic view of how traumatic serious and fatal crashes can be.

Cairns QFES Road Crash Rescue Team member Renee drenched in fake blood & ready to simulate her role as a trapped road crash vicitim

Whilst the QFES Road Crash Rescue Team worked to free the trapped patients, their Team Leader, Ian Fulton described what was happening along with Paramedic Senior Educators from the QAS, Craig Hill and John Wells and Officer in Charge of the Cairns Forensic Crash Unit, Sergeant Scott Ezard.

Mrs Sharon Roneberg also had a heartfelt message for the spectators. She talked about how the death of her daughter Tanya, has changed her life and the lives of her family forever.

Tanya was 37 when she died after being hit by a drink driver on an early morning bike ride on the Captain Cook Highway in May 2013.

Agency displays from the Road Policing Unit, Forensic Crash Unit, Crime Prevention, QFES, QAS, TMR, Drive2Live and Cairns BUG all provided valuable information to participants about road safety in the far north.

Selfie time with QFES, QAS & QPS

Interactive displays, drink driving beer goggles, and vehicles were all on display.

St Monica’s Head of Year Teacher, Carole Lane spoke on behalf of her colleagues and charges about the important message delivered during the presentations.

“In my 42-years of teaching, I have never seen anything as good as this”, Ms Lane said.

“This is fantastic and a great way to educate our young people.”

Special thanks to our Major Supporter, Cairns Show Association for the use of the Fred Moule Pavilion, Barron River Towing for the vehicles, Lotsa Print for the artwork and design, QFES, QAS, TMR, Drive2Live, CBUG and of course our Police teams from Cross Cultural Liaison Team, RPU, FCU and my favourites, Heidi and Russ from the Crime Prevention & Media Unit.

Below are a series of photos from the three demonstrations.