Driving towards a future

PASSION for road safety — Billy TK Jnr delivers his message at Te Awamutu College yesterday. TC310708DT04

BY DEAN TAYLOR

Billy TK Jnr is one of New Zealand’s best guitar exponents — and he is passionate about bringing road safety messages to young Kiwis.

Both traits were obvious when the Kiwi music star visited Te Awamutu College yesterday to spread the ‘Driving Towards a Smokefree Future’ to the students. Over two sessions, Billy TK was able to touch on three key ingredients of road safety — crossing roads, wearing seatbelts and preventing drink driving.

Billy TK Jnr put together the school’s package as his way of using his profile and skills to help young people survive. He plans to take the message to every student in New Zealand. Te Awamutu College was his 112th school, and he hasn’t finished the top half of the North Island yet.

His message was simple — ‘you can do anything yo want if you live long enough to do it’. He says the Smokefree sponsorship is part of the message.

‘‘It’s about making healthy and sensible lifestyle choices — whether it is to do with not starting smoking or being a good and responsible driver.’’

The presentation used reasonably graphic and shocking visuals to get the message across — but at Bill TK said, ‘that’s the reality’. In fact he told the students about his preparation for the programme, saying he worked for a week at the Auckland Morgue and that no-one should ever have to see a deceased person killed in a road crash.

The public presentation concluded with a short show by Billy TK Jnr and the Groove Shakers — the hard working band that is touring his new album ‘Presenting Billy TK Jnr’ between ‘Driving Towards a Smokefree Future’ commitments.

Students were then given a chance to work on an interactive computer programme which promotes the ‘Practice’ programme developed by LTNZ and ACC. The Practice programme aims to provide learner drivers and their coaches with a structured plan for getting two or more hours driving practice a week. This free programme enables the learner driver to develop tools for safe driving habits and provides the coach with the tools to encourage them.

Research indicates that a learner driver with 120 hours supervised driving practice under their belt is 30% less likely to have a crash when they start driving alone.

The school programme is supported by a number of national sponsors. Waipa District Council also provided sponsorship to bring Billy TK Jnr to Te Awamutu College and Cambridge High School.