Award-winning program keeps drunks off the road

I READ with interest the Bulletin editorial in relation to “Take care and lock them up”.

I am the facilitator of the award-winning Queensland Traffic Offenders Program.

QTOP has operated for more than 12 years throughout Gold Coast and Brisbane.

I personally deal daily with drink/drug drivers and all types of traffic offences.

The program consistently liaises with participants whose choice has been to drive a vehicle while under the influence of liquor, causing injury or fatalities involving innocent people.

I witness first-hand the change in people’s attitudes after their completion of our program.

QTOP still has a less than

2 per cent recidivism rate.

With the closure in August 2017 by the State Government of the mandated program “Under the Limit”, no program exists in Queensland for repeat offenders.

Subsequent to this decision by the State Government, QTOP identified the need for the release of the program for regional Queensland, whereby an online program was developed.

This online program is a world leader. Since inception in November 2017, we now have clients from all over Australia and are receiving interest on the development internationally.

There is no government education/rehabilitation program for any drink/drug drivers in Queensland.

There is a need for this to be addressed immediately to prevent lives being lost on our roads.

Statistics show that one in five drivers who lost their lives last year in Queensland were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

QTOP works closely with the Youth Justice Department, Corrective Services and the judiciary to help educate/rehabilitate offenders. Daily, we refer drivers for drug and alcohol intervention either from attending our face-toface program or the online program.

Due to the overwhelming interest in our road safety program, we opened our program to all drivers, not just offenders. Currently we have corporate entities engaging their own staff to participate in the program, as well as new drivers. We have new drivers attending, wherein parents have urged them to complete our QTOP program before they obtain their licence.

QTOP identifies the need to educate our young, with the age group of 18-25 years making up 35 per cent of our attendees. Road-safety sessions for players, committee members and coaching staff were organised throughout the season and nothing, but positive feedback was received.

Stay safe everyone, remember the Fatal 5 to stay alive.

LARA HICKLING