Offaly secondary school students among winners at national road safety awards
Students from Oaklands Community College in Edenderry were among the winners at the inaugural national Road Safety Matters awards organised by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday, April 29, at the Johnstown Estate in Enfield and celebrated the outstanding achievements of Transition Year (TY) students from across Ireland.
The ceremony honoured students across four categories: Lesson Plans (creating a road safety lesson for first-year students); Posters (designing a road safety awareness poster); Video (producing a short educational video for vulnerable road users) and High-Visibility (developing a student-friendly high-visibility item for teenagers).
Offaly came out on top in the High-Visibility category, which was won by Amy Kilduff, Aaron Morrissey and Clodagh Cummins from Oaklands Community College.
The RSA said these awards marked a key milestone for the Road Safety Matters Transition Year programme, launched in September 2024.
Developed by the RSA, the programme is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills and awareness needed to become safer road users. It provides a structured, step-by-step guide for both students and teachers to support young people on their road safety journey.
Through the programme, students explore the importance of sharing the road responsibly, while developing the values and behaviours required to navigate roads safely, whether as pedestrians, cyclists, passengers, or future drivers.
Michael Rowland, Director at the RSA, said: "These awards highlight the powerful role young people can play in shaping safer roads.
"The creativity and insight shown by students across all categories demonstrates not only their understanding of road safety, but their commitment to influencing positive behaviour among their peers and wider communities."
Attendees at the event also experienced the RSA Road Safety Shuttle, a mobile interactive unit featuring immersive simulations, virtual reality experiences and hands-on activities designed to educate the public on road safety in an engaging and impactful way.