A new Road Safety Programme targeted at Transition Year students was launched today.

The new programme, sponsored by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin (pictured, right) and Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, will be available for schools from this coming September.

It is currently being piloted in some 50 schools.

The programme covers issues such as seatbelts and airbags, driver fatigue, drink/drug driving, enforcement, basic first aid at road crashes, emergency services and rehabilitation.

The programme provides for visiting speakers, trips out of school, projects and case studies.

The programme does not include driving lessons.

Minister Hanafin noted that ‘while 2007 was one of the safest years on Irish roads in over 40 years, the stark fact is that 338 people lost their lives last year’.

She said education is key to reducing road casualties.

It’s expected that the programme will now be rolled out to 500 schools. Maybe this will improve Minister Dempsey’s "approval rating"…

More specific information on the programme itself can be found on the Department of Education web site, here.