For Sale, For Race

C.B.S Secondary School, The Green, Tralee, Co Kerry

Making Our World Safer Challenge

2009

This YSI project’s goal was to bring awareness to road deaths in Ireland as well as to shine new light on the impacts of ‘boy racing’ and the effects that it has on road safety.

 

After completing research on this topic and following a survey of young people carried out by the group, they found that many of the ‘for sale’ signs placed on cars were being used as a way to advertise illegal racing. This surprising find changed the groups overall objective of their project. The main goal of their project is to hopefully have a bye-law passed in their area banning these ‘for sale’ signs from being placed on non-stationery cars. A bye law does already exist banning their use on stationary cars but the group feels this should be extended to non-stationery cars as well.  The group also wanted to bring attention to their project and increase awareness on this issue so they held an awareness day in their town square.

 

On awareness day they acted out sections of a drama on road safety and highlighted the inherent dangers of ‘boy racing’. They also filmed this presentation with the intention of putting it on youtube. Kerry County Councillor John Brassil attended the presentation; he later raised the group’s findings at a recent council meeting and hopes that more attention will be given to the issue of street racing and the ‘for sale’ signs. Another event the group held was a Road Safety demonstration, this was done to bring further awareness to their project; the event was held in the town square in Tralee. The day was extremely successful and they were fully supported by the Kerry football team, the Garda, and local councillors/politicians, this received national media coverage from The Irish Examiner.

 

One of the other main events the group held was prayer service in their school gym in which 259 students formed the shape of 259 which represents one road death to that date. This prayer service was also nationally recognized by the Irish Times. The group was able to gain a successful amount of awareness on their project and will be presenting their finding to Fergus O Dowd; the National spokesperson on Road, the group is extremely excited to see what affect their findings will have. The group was very pleased with the success of their project and feel that they not only made a difference by bring awareness to an important issue within their community but also gain a worthwhile experience and learned many useful skills.

YSI Award Winner

Young Social Innovators of the Bronze Award Title Holders