Southland Hospital Trauma Nurse Coordinator Rebecca Coats has four words she hopes will save lives.
Do. Not. Drive. Impaired.
“Your life and the lives of others can change in a second. Distractions can kill,” she says. “If you are tired pull over. If you are impaired don’t get behind the wheel and drive. You must be focused when driving.”
It is this very reason Te Whatu Ora Southland and Dunedin staff have been involved in educational and rehabilitation programme ‘The Right Track’ – a court-ordered, five-week programme that targets people over the age of 18 who are first time and recidivist driving offenders, to educate them on the impact poor driving behaviour has on communities and people.
As part of the programme, participants visit the emergency department and hear from an ED doctor and ED nurse educator about how they treat people injured in car accidents.
“A police report post-programme found that 86 per cent of people who complete The Right Track do not reoffend,” Rebecca says.
Dunedin Hospital Trauma Nurse Coordinator Fiona Thomas volunteers to run the programme in Otago and has been involved in four programmes to date.
“Working in the hospital we mostly see the end result of people injured in crashes. Being part of this programme feels like it is the ‘ambulance at the top of the cliff’.
You are part of a programme which motivates and encourages people to make better decisions and choices, which can ultimately aid in preventing future driving offending and injury,” Fiona says.
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