BRAKE Driver Awareness is a structured six-module classroom program delivered by your own teachers.
Road Safety Education program for schools
Road trauma remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged 16 to 25.
Risk increases sharply when young people transition from supervised learning to independent driving. This is not primarily a road rules issue. It is a decision-making issue. The highest-risk moments occur when decisions are made:
- Under peer pressure
- When distracted
- When emotions are heightened
- When confidence exceeds experience
Students need structured preparation before they enter their highest-risk years. BRAKE Driver Awareness is an evidence based road safety education program for schools delivered through structured classroom learning before independent driving begins.
Why structured, developmentally informed education matters
Adolescence is a period of rapid brain development. Emotional reward systems mature earlier than the systems responsible for impulse control and long-term judgement.
This increases susceptibility to sensation seeking, peer influence and overconfidence.
Research across road safety, education and behavioural science shows that one-off presentations and fear-based messaging rarely produce lasting behavioural change.
Skills-based driver training alone does not reliably reduce crash risk and can sometimes increase risk taking.
What works best is education that:
- Begins before habits form
- Is delivered progressively over time
- Aligns with adolescent development
- Builds judgement, planning and confidence under pressure
BRAKE is intentionally designed around these principles. Students do not simply receive information. They practise structured thinking before pressure occurs.
Delivered in your classroom
BRAKE is designed to integrate within existing secondary school timetables and delivered by your own teachers.
Structured and timetabled
- Six structured 60-minute lessons
- Designed for Years 9 and 10
- Delivered within regular class time
Supported through BOS
- Complete lesson materials provided
- Built-in quizzes and evaluation
- Online teacher accreditation
Simple to implement
- Internet, projector and audio
- No external presenters required
- No additional lesson preparation
BRAKE aligns with Health and Physical Education and whole-school wellbeing priorities. Implementation is clear, structured and supported from accreditation through to delivery.
Access and Funding
Delivery costs vary by location. In Queensland, the program is supported through the Queensland Government’s Community Road Safety Grants Scheme, allowing many schools to access road safety education program for schools at no cost or a subsidised rate.
For schools in other states, funding arrangements vary. We can provide guidance on current pricing and partnership options.
What Students Learn
Delivered across six structured modules, BRAKE progressively builds the cognitive and behavioural skills students rely on before independent driving begins.
Module 1: The Developing Road User
How adolescent brain development influences risk perception, reward sensitivity and impulse control.
Module 2: Peer Influence and Passenger Responsibility
Managing social pressure, group dynamics and confidence to speak up before risk escalates.
Module 3: Speed, Stopping Distance and Safety Margins
Understanding reaction time, physical limits and the consequences of reduced safety margins.
Module 4: Hazard Perception and High-Risk Situations
Strengthening scanning strategies, intersection awareness and anticipation of conflict points.
Module 5: Fatigue, Optimism Bias and Overconfidence
Recognising cognitive bias, impaired judgement and overconfidence.
Module 6: Alcohol, Drugs, Distraction and Protective Planning
Developing repeatable protective habits before independent exposure increases.
What students gain after completing the BRAKE Program
Stronger Hazard Awareness
Earlier scanning and clearer recognition of developing risk.
Improved Decision-Making Under Pressure
Strategies to pause, assess and choose safer responses.
Passenger Assertiveness
Confidence to influence peer behaviour before risk escalates.
Repeatable Protective Habits
Planning, distraction control and speed awareness become consistent behaviours.
Clear Understanding of Consequences
Legal, social and safety implications understood in real-world context.
BRAKE strengthens the decision-making, assertiveness and self-regulation that underpin both road safety and student wellbeing.
Established. Measurable. School-ready.
BRAKE Driver Awareness has been delivered to more than 90,000 students across over 190 secondary schools. The program operates across metropolitan, regional and remote communities, in both government and non-government sectors.
Students complete short pre and post surveys that measure shifts in risk perception, planning, distraction management and confidence to speak up as a passenger. Responses are anonymous and are used to evaluate and strengthen the program over time.
The program is delivered by classroom teachers through BOS, providing all lesson materials, accreditation support and evaluation tools required for consistent implementation.
If your school is reviewing its approach to road safety and student wellbeing education, we can provide:
- Program overview documentation
- Curriculum alignment summary
- Implementation guidance
- Cost and funding information
There is no obligation to proceed following an enquiry.
You are welcome to request program information or schedule a short call at a suitable time to discuss suitability for your year level, timetable and context.