Road Safety Education

This course is aimed at providing an holistic approach to road safety education by developing positive attitudes and behaviours toward road use through promoting an understanding of the common risk factors people encounter when using our road system.

Attitudinal and behavioural change are the strategic focus for road safety education, as distinct from practical car driver training, which is covered in the Tasmanian licensing system.

There are no prerequisites for this course. It is envisaged that this course will be appropriate for learners with special needs.

The course aims to minimise road trauma among young people by equipping them with the knowledge to make informed decisions as drivers, pedestrians, passengers and cyclists, and to develop positive attitudes that are demonstrated in safe road user behaviour.

This course is intended to enhance a person’s life skills by providing a system of behavioural and attitudinal appraisal and self reflection tools. In addition, it provides a platform for constructing risk assessment skills useful in the workplace and other settings.

On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to identify:

1. the different road user groups, their roles and responsibilities, and attitudes that shape behaviour and interactions between road users
2. common causes of crashes and be able to speculate on factors that contribute to crashes by providing explanations as to how a crash is the result of road user, road environment and vehicle factors
3. some high risk behaviours and how these affect driving performance and contribute to road crashes
4. short term and long term consequences that result from some high risk behaviours, and have simple strategies to reduce high risk behaviours in relation to self and others
5. how primary and secondary vehicle and environmental design safety features reduce crashes, and identify benefits of vehicle safety features
6. the components of the Tasmanian licensing system, and how and why the licensing system is structured.

Basic Road Safety Level 1 may act as a pathway to the study of Road Safety Education Level 2.

Road Safety Education Level 2 may serve as a pathway into Making Moral Decisions Level 2 and Issues in Society Level 2.

Road Safety Education Level 2 also provides a strong basis or complementary role for persons designing futures with occupational health and safety, forms of general health studies, issues in society or an interest in automotive or transport logistics.

This course has a complexity level of 2.

At Level 2, the learner is expected to carry out tasks and activities that involve a range of knowledge and skills, including some basic theoretical and/or technical knowledge and skills. Limited judgement is required, such as making an appropriate selection from a range of given rules, guidelines or procedures. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate II.

This course has a size value of 5.

Course providers will select modes of delivery based on the needs of the learners.

Learning outcomes need not be assessed in isolation: individual, structured assessment activities may provide evidence of meeting several learning outcomes. Assessment will involve a mix of:

• assessment of knowledge via discussion and debate
• response to focus questions and assignment tasks
• reading and interpreting basic material
• researching concepts using a variety of media including ICT
• assessment of knowledge via in role play and problem solving scenarios
• contribution to group tasks
• presentation of concepts in written, oral and ICT medium.

UNIT ONE – (5 HOURS)
Learners examine the attitudes and behaviours that characterise the following groups of road users, and explore their interactions in the road environment:

• pedestrians
• skaters and cyclists
• passengers
• drivers.

UNIT TWO – (10 HOURS)
Unit Two builds on the knowledge gained from Unit One – learners examine common crashes to determine cause (mechanism) and contributing factors that increase the risk of crashing from the list below:

• human
• road
• vehicle
• speed.

UNIT THREE – (20 HOURS)
Learners examine the following risk factors (or combination of factors) that contribute to crashes, exploring the consequences of crashes, and determining behavioural strategies to reduce risk and crashes.

• peer pressure and passenger influences
• alcohol
• fatigue
• inattention/distraction
• speed
• drugs/medication.

UNIT FOUR – (13 HOURS)
Learners investigate ways in which the road environment can be altered to increase safety and explain how features of vehicles can be enhanced to protect road users.

UNIT FIVE – (2 HOURS)
Unit Five requires learners to examine the role of the Tasmanian licensing system in creating safe and licensed drivers, describe the steps required to become a licensed driver and the ongoing safety obligations of drivers.

Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment that identifies the extent of learner achievement at an appropriate end-point of study. Although assessment – as part of the learning program – is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help learners identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting to TASC will focus on what both teacher and learner understand to reflect end-point achievement.

The standard of achievement each learner attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating of ‘C’ (satisfactory standard) or ‘A’ (high standard) according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course document.

A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating. The ‘t’ notation is not described in course standards.

A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a learner provides no evidence of achievement at all.

Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Assessment processes must gather evidence that clearly shows the match between individual learner performance, the standards of the course and the learner’s award. Providers will report the learner’s rating for each criterion to TASC.

The following processes will be facilitated by TASC to ensure there is:

• a match between the standards of achievement specified in the course and the skills and knowledge demonstrated by individual learners
• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

Process

TASC will verify that the provider’s course delivery and assessment meet the course requirements and community expectations for fairness, integrity and validity of qualifications TASC issues. This will involve checking:

• Provider standard 1: scope and sequence documentation:
  • course delivery plan
  • course assessment plan, assessment matrix
• Provider standard 2: student attendance records
• Provider standard 3: examples of assessments tools and instruments and associated rubrics and marking guides
• Provider standard 1 and 3: examples of student work including that related to any work requirements articulated in the course document
• Provider standard 4: class records of assessment

This process will be scheduled by TASC using a risk-based approach.

The assessment for Road Safety Education Level 2 will be based on whether the learner can:

• 1. identify contemporary road safety issues
• 2. identify common crash types, how and why they occur, and how they may be avoided
• 3. identify high risk behaviours and how these contribute to road crashes
• 4. identify and describe vehicle and environmental safety systems designed to reduce harm to all road users
• 5. describe the Tasmanian licensing system
• 6. identify ways in which personal decisions impact upon road safety in society

Road Safety Education Level 2 (with the award of):

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT

The final award will be determined by the Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification from 6 ratings.

The minimum requirements for an award in Road Safety Education Level 2 are as follows:

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT (EA)
5 ‘A’ ratings, 1 ‘C’ rating

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT (HA)
3 ‘A’ ratings, 3 ‘C’ ratings

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT (SA)
6 ‘C’ ratings

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT (PA)
4 ‘C’ ratings.

The Department of Education’s Curriculum Services will develop and regularly revise the curriculum. This evaluation will be informed by the experience of the course’s implementation, delivery and assessment.

In addition, stakeholders may request Curriculum Services to review a particular aspect of an accredited course.

Requests for amendments to an accredited course will be forwarded by Curriculum Services to the Office of TASC for formal consideration.

Such requests for amendment will be considered in terms of the likely improvements to the outcomes for learners, possible consequences for delivery and assessment of the course, and alignment with Australian Curriculum materials.

A course is formally analysed prior to the expiry of its accreditation as part of the process to develop specifications to guide the development of any replacement course.

The accreditation period for this course is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025.

During the accreditation period required amendments can be considered via established processes.

Should outcomes of the Years 9-12 Review process find this course unsuitable for inclusion in the Tasmanian senior secondary curriculum, its accreditation may be cancelled. Any such cancellation would not occur during an academic year.

Version 1 – Accredited on 16 August 2019 for use from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2024. This course replaces Road Safety Education (RSE205115) that expired on 31 December 2019.

Accreditation renewed on 22 June 2023 for the period 1 January 2025 until 31 December 2025 without amendment.