mmg.com.au

Every pair of eyes were glued on the speakers and confronting images of road crashes at the Cool Heads young driver program on Wednesday night.

The real-life stories and images hit home to an audience of about 130, because most of these traumatic incidents occurred on local roads to local people.

Speakers reinforced the program’s message — ‘‘One careless action — a lifetime of consequences’’.

Parents brought their children along and some decided to bring themselves, about 30 audience members were instructed to attend by the court.

Confronting images flashed on the screen at Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE’s Harder Auditorium, as the audience heard the gruelling stories behind each one.

Greater Shepparton Police Service Area Inspector Ian Bull said the Cool Heads program, unique to Shepparton, was established four years ago to change the attitude of young drivers in the region.

‘‘I arrived 21 years ago and was shocked by the hoon culture in town — it was no surprise I went to collision after collision,’’ Insp Bull told the audience.

‘‘You can hit the reset button on a computer game, but you can’t hit it in real life.’’

Shepparton police Crime Prevention Officer Leading Senior Constable Craig Brauman spent 19 years in the Shepparton Hwy Patrol. Leading Sen Const Brauman said he had a serious agenda for traffic safety.

He introduced speaker Robyn Greening, who had the audience fixated on her story and images of her son which appeared behind her.

Insp Bull said since the program was established four years ago, there had been a decrease in young people involved in road injuries and fatalities.

Dimity Sharp, 16, travelled from Finley to Shepparton with her mother and two friends to attend the Cool Heads event.

Dimity’s mother said her sister-in-law took her children to the program a year ago, so she thought it would be a good idea as Dimity will soon be a probationary driver. ‘‘It was good, some of the things were intense,’’ Dimity said.

Friend Stephen Patten, 17, from Tocumwal, said he would think differently next time he was behind the wheel of a car.

‘‘I definitely won’t use a mobile phone (while driving) and speed,’’ Stephen said.

Friend Luke Congram, 16, from Finley, will be a probationary driver in September.

He took one important message away from the night.

‘‘I think that it can happen to you, and be careful,’’ he said.