Trial and error

Teacher post court discussion questions 

It is hoped that this discussion in line with the transition year programme will promote personal maturity by providing opportunities to develop openness, communication skills and a sense of responsibility. 

• What surprised you about the court experience?
   
• After hearing the evidence, could you tell me what you think happened the night of the accident?
  
• What did you notice about the state prosecutor's questioning?
   
• What did you notice about the defense barristers case?
  
• How did you feel about the accused Ronan Nevin, what did you think about him?
  
• What illegal activities were highlighted in the case?
  
• What do you think the key distractions to the driver were?
   
• Before this case did you know that ignorance of the law is no an excuse?
  
• Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation to the defendant or the victim?
  
• Have you ever been frightened in a driving situation?
  
• What aspects of the law do you know in relation to driving?
  
• What else can be done to educate young people in driving safely? 

Post-court activities

The aim of the follow-on activities is to encourage the students to develop empathy and understanding of road safety and the consequences of unsafe driving.

Writing activities:

• Ask the students to research newspaper reports on road collisions and court cases. Now ask them to create a fictional newspaper article about a young person involved in a crash and the resulting court case. 
• Ask the students to write a letter from the perspective of the defendant Ronan Nevin to the parents of his girlfriend who died in the crash.

Drama activities:

• Split the students into groups of four. Ask the students to create a 2 minute scene showing the run up to the accident, perhaps the couple meeting friends and discussing going for a drive and then getting carried away with the situation

• In groups of four, ask the students to create a two scenes showing 1.the family of the defendant finding out their son was in an accident and 2.meeting him in the police station where he explains what happened

• Ask the students to create a poster which will capture attention and highlight road safety for young people

Your Stuff

• Post event discussion

This section is designed to intellectually challenge the students. Teachers can extend the experience of the event by opening up dialogue with the students through questioning, response and reflection. 

•  Post show activities

These activities stimulate the ability to imagine and create while providing a catalyst for education. Activities include writing, drama and visual art.

• Mayo RS think tank!

In this section Road safety officer Noel Gibbons encourages TY students to brainstorm with fellow classmates to create and forward new ideas, concepts and events to encourage young people�s engagement with road safety.

17-24 Year olds Road collision Facts

Overview

·         Over the period 1997-2008, 1,284 17-24 year olds have been killed on Irish road.  This represents 28% of all road death. Additional 4,153 were seriously injured over the same period.

·         47% of the 17-24 year olds road fatalities occurred on Saturday and Sunday

·         34.9% of the 17-24 year olds road fatalities happened between the hours of 12 midnight and 04:59.

·         37.6% of the 17-24 year olds killed on the road were car drivers

·         27.3% of the 17-24 year olds killed on the road were car passengers

·         28.5% of all drivers (car, van, trucks and other vehicles) killed over the period 1997 to 2009 were 17-24 year olds

·         29.7% of car drivers killed over the period 1997 to 2008 were 17-24 year olds

·         17-24 year olds road users have the risk of dying on the road that is approximately three times the risk for the rest of the population

·         17-24 year olds car drivers have the risk of dying on the road that is approximately five times the risk for the rest of the driver population

·         30% of people killed with no seatbelt over the period 1997 to 2008 were  male 17-24 year olds

·         48% of all drivers responsible for fatal collisions where excessive speed was cited as contributory factor were  male 17-24 year olds

·         38.5% of all road deaths where excessive speed was cited as contributory factor were  male 17-24 year olds

·         41% (143) of the 17-24 year olds car passengers killed on the road were riding with 17-24 year olds male drivers

For more information, contact:

Road Safety Officer
Mayo County Council
Aras an Chontae
The Mall
Castlebar
Co. Mayo
Phone: 094 9047115
Email:roadsafety@mayococo.ie
9am to 5pm