Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.

20/06/2026

Every road death is a tragedy.
Sadly, when that life is a young person with their whole future ahead of them, the impact is devastating for families, friends, schools, workplaces, and entire communities.

Today, we want to start a very important conversation with parents, carers, and young drivers.

If you are a provisional licence holder, you already know there are restrictions on driving high-performance vehicles.

These laws are not designed to punish young people.
These laws exist because research consistently shows that inexperienced drivers face a significantly higher risk of being involved in serious crashes, particularly when speed, peer influence, overconfidence, and powerful vehicles are part of the equation.

In New South Wales, P1 and P2 drivers are prohibited from driving certain high-performance vehicles because they present a greater risk to novice drivers. These restrictions are based on vehicle power-to-weight ratios and other performance characteristics.

Research examining high-performance vehicle restrictions in Australia found that powerful vehicles can encourage unsafe driving behaviours and create situations that exceed the experience and judgement of many novice drivers.
The statistics are confronting.

Young drivers continue to be overrepresented in serious and fatal crashes. An Audit Office of NSW review found that young drivers were involved in approximately 25% of fatal crashes despite representing only around 16% of licensed drivers.

Coronial findings across Australia repeatedly identify similar contributing factors:
• Excessive speed.
• Inexperience.
• Carrying peer passengers.
• Risk-taking behaviour.
• Driving vehicles beyond the driver's skill level.
• Ignoring licence restrictions.

In Tasmania, a coroner described the actions of a young driver as "reckless and immature" after a fatal crash involving excessive speed and breaches of provisional licence conditions.

A 16-year-old passenger lost his life.
In another coronial matter, a provisional driver who had been drinking ignored warnings not to drive. The resulting crash claimed the life of a young passenger.
The coroner described the death as wholly preventable.

Closer to home, police recently highlighted a crash involving a 17-year-old P-plater driving a vehicle that exceeded NSW's high-performance vehicle limits.
Thankfully no one was killed, but the incident serves as a stark reminder of why these restrictions exist.

As parents, we need to ask ourselves some difficult questions:
• Do we know whether the vehicle our son or daughter is driving is actually legal for their licence class?
• Are we having honest conversations about speed, risk-taking, and showing off in front of friends?
• Are we setting expectations that safety is more important than status, horsepower, or appearance?

And for young drivers:
• Is getting somewhere a few minutes faster worth risking your life?
• Is impressing your mates worth the possibility of never making it home?
• Would your family be able to cope with a knock on the door from police telling them you are not coming back?

Road trauma is not just a statistic. Behind every fatality is a family left grieving, friends left asking "what if?", and first responders who carry those memories forever.

This is not about blaming young people.
Most young drivers are responsible and do the right thing. This is about recognising that attitudes and behaviours matter, and that every one of us has a role to play in protecting young lives.

We encourage every parent, carer, grandparent, teacher, coach, mentor, and young driver reading this to start the conversation today.

Talk about vehicle choices.
Talk about licence restrictions.
Talk about peer pressure.
Talk about speed.
Talk about responsibility.
Because no parent should have to bury a child because of a decision that could have been prevented.

These young lives are precious. They deserve every opportunity to reach their future.
Let's keep the conversation going.

Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas below. What more can we do as a community to reduce the number of young people being killed or seriously injured on our roads?

Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.

19/06/2026

What's one word that describes a safe road user?

19/06/2026

You've Done It a Hundred Times Before... Until the Day You Can't.
"I've been driving home after a few drinks for years."

It's a phrase many people say with pride, almost as if it proves they have some special skill.

Some wear it like a badge of honour.
But let's be honest.
You are not a superhero.
You are not immune to tragedy.
You are not somehow different from the thousands of people whose lives have been shattered by drink driving.

The truth is far less impressive.
You've simply been lucky.
Every time you've turned the key after drinking, every time you've convinced yourself that you were "okay to drive," every time you've made it home safely, luck has been sitting in the passenger seat beside you.

One day, that luck may just run out.
And when it does, the consequences can be catastrophic.

Imagine the flashing lights.
The twisted metal.
The silence that follows a violent impact.
Imagine a family receiving a knock at their door in the middle of the night.

Imagine parents learning their child isn't coming home. Imagine children growing up without a mother or father because someone decided they were "fine to drive."
Imagine living with the knowledge that your decision stole someone's future.

A birthday never celebrated.
A wedding that never happens.
A grandchild never born.
A life permanently altered or ended because of one selfish choice.

Drink driving doesn't just affect the person behind the wheel.
It impacts entire families, friendship circles, workplaces, schools, emergency responders, hospitals, and communities.

The ripple effect can last generations.
If you choose to drive after drinking, you are gambling with lives that do not belong to you.

The responsible choice is simple.
Get a lift.
Call a taxi.
Use a rideshare service.
Stay the night.
Hand over your keys.
Ask for help.

There is no shame in finding a safe way home.
The shame lies in knowing the risks and choosing to ignore them.

Today, we're asking you to have the uncomfortable conversations.
Talk to your family.
Talk to your mates.
Talk to your work colleagues.

Challenge the attitudes that normalise drink driving.
Hold each other accountable.
Speak up when someone is about to make a dangerous decision.

Because the life you save may be your own.
Or it may be someone else's child, parent, partner, sibling, or best friend.

Please share this post and help us spread this message.
One conversation could prevent a tragedy.
One decision could save a life.

Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.
Graphic kindly created pro bono by Big Bird Design and Marketing

DrinkDriving

19/06/2026

WE WERE ALL LEARNERS ONCE!
Do you remember that day?
The day you finally got your learner's licence.

The excitement. The nerves. The feeling that something big was about to happen.
Your heart was pounding. Your palms were sweaty. Your stomach was doing somersaults.
You couldn't wait to tell everyone.

Then came the moment.
You climbed into the driver's seat for the very first time. You adjusted the mirrors, fastened your seatbelt, gripped the steering wheel just a little too tightly, and took a deep breath.

And then it happened.
You slowly lifted your foot from the brake and gently pressed the accelerator.

The car moved.
Not in a driving game. Not in your imagination.
A real car. On a real road, or a real car park as is often in the case at the beginning. 

Then suddenly, the responsibility of being behind the wheel became very real.
You were focused on everything at once. The road, the signs, your speed, your mirrors, your hands, your feet.
Every decision felt enormous.

For many of us, that moment was years, even decades ago. Yet somehow, we can still remember exactly how it felt.

So why do we sometimes forget that feeling when we see learner drivers on the road today?

Why are we so quick to become impatient?
Why do we sit too close behind them, rush past them, or get frustrated when they're driving a little slower than we'd like?

Every experienced driver was once that nervous learner whose heart was racing behind the wheel.
Every confident driver once stalled, hesitated at an intersection, forgot a signal, or struggled with parking.

Learners aren't trying to hold us up. They're trying to learn.
And while they're learning how to drive, they're also learning from us.

Whether we realise it or not, we are role models every time we get behind the wheel.
What are we teaching the next generation of drivers if we respond with impatience, aggression, or arrogance?

What message are we sending when we forget the very journey that got us here?
A little patience can make a huge difference.
A little understanding can help build confidence.
A little kindness can turn a stressful experience into a positive one.

So the next time you see a learner driver, spare a thought for the person behind the wheel.

Remember your own first drive. Remember how nervous you felt. Remember how much encouragement meant to you.

Let's give our learners the space, respect, patience, and support they deserve.
Because they are not just learners.
They are the drivers of tomorrow.

💬 We'd love to hear from you. What do you remember about your very first time behind the wheel?
Were you excited, terrified, or a little bit of both?
Share your story in the comments.

Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.
Graphic kindly created pro bono by Big Bird Design and Marketing


18/06/2026

I keep thinking I have a choice today,
whether I let it close over me
like a room with no windows,
or whether I step into it
even if I’m not ready.
Some days I disappear a little,
pull back into myself,
watch the hours pass without touching them.
Other days I meet them—awkwardly, unevenly—
but I meet them.

I don’t always believe it,
but there’s something in me
that keeps nudging forward.
Even when everything feels tangled,
when I can’t make sense of where I am
or how I got here,
there’s still a quiet insistence:
keep going.

And maybe that’s enough.
Because sometimes it really is small,
so small it almost feels like nothing.
Getting up.
Answering one message.

Opening the door, even just a crack.
And sometimes it isn’t small at all.

Sometimes it feels like dragging something heavy
through thick air,
like every step asks more of you
than you think you have.
There are moments
where even breathing feels uncertain,
like it catches halfway in,
like you’re not sure it will come back out right.
There are pauses
that don’t feel peaceful—
they feel stuck,
like your body forgot how to move on.
And still, somehow,
time keeps asking you to be in it.
Some days I can do that.
Some days I can’t.
But even on the days
that feel like they don’t count,
something is still happening.
Even here, even like this,
I am not completely lost.

And maybe making a difference
doesn’t always look like something big or visible.
Maybe it’s just this,
staying.
Trying.
Not disappearing entirely.
Maybe today,
that’s enough.

Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.
Photography Phillip Spencer

18/06/2026

Beyond the Crash:
Heidi's story.
Motorcycle rider.
Injury.
Crash location:
Woonona, NSW 2517
Story written by:
Heidi.

First time I got on motorbike it was the coolest feeling. When I got my licence, I fell in love with it straight away.

I finally landed on my passion for hairdressing. I was just setting my life up, everything was perfect. It was such a normal day. It was summer, it was close to Christmas. I remember writing mum a post it note like I always do when I go for a ride - "Just going for a ride" and she's still got that.

I started heading towards the roundabout. I looked to my left and there was a ute coming from my left and I thought, well, you know, they give way to me anyway. So I went ahead and started turning right, and just as I started turning right I just felt winded and a huge pressure on my left side, and then everything just went black.

I got t-boned by a ute. Bulldozed into a guardrail and as a result I now have a spinal cord injury living as a wheelchair user. I did what anyone would do and just assumed that someone else is going to follow the rules.

I never thought I would have a crash that day. I don't think we ever think anything's going to happen to us. What I wish I said to myself then, is just listen to that little moment of hesitation.

This changes so many lives and it wouldn't just change mine like it did at the time. It changed the driver that hit me's entire life and flipped it upside down and that's something that he will live with forever.

Everything is so much hard work. I had no idea that your body stops working, your bodily functions don't work, you physically have to do things to make them work in the mornings. I kind of didn't know what to expect and didn't realise it was going to be a full time job to just live in a wheelchair.

For other riders, I would just say, be on the lookout. Not everyone's going to do what you assume they're going to do. Other drivers as well, because there are times where they can't see us.

I love what my life has become. It's taken me ages to get here though. I wish it wasn't this hard. I really hope that sharing my story kind of helps people realise this affects a lot of people and this doesn't need to happen. We just need to make good choices when we're on the road.”
NSW Government

Heidi's life changed forever when a driver didn't give way to her a...

18/06/2026

With vehicle theft becoming more sophisticated, I’ve been looking into whether old-school security devices still have a place in a world of keyless entry and factory alarms.

Interestingly, many Australian police and security experts still recommend steering wheel locks as part of a layered approach to vehicle security.

Why you ask?
While modern thieves can use electronic tools to target keyless entry systems, a visible physical barrier is something they can't ignore.

🚗 A few reasons steering wheel locks are still worth considering:
🔒 They’re a visual deterrent.
A bright steering wheel lock is often the first thing a potential thief sees. If your car looks harder to steal than the one next to it, they may simply move on.

📡 They add protection against relay theft
Even if someone manages to bypass electronic security systems, they still have to deal with a physical lock before driving away.

⏱️ They buy valuable time
Removing a quality lock takes time, effort, and often noisy tools—exactly the things thieves want to avoid.

It also got me thinking about how vehicle security is no longer about relying on a single solution.

The recommendations I've come across suggest combining multiple layers of protection, such as:
✅ Steering wheel or pedal locks
✅ Faraday pouches for keyless entry fobs
✅ OBD port locks to prevent unauthorized key programming.

I'm curious guys.
Do you use any additional security measures on your vehicle, or do you think modern factory security systems are enough on their own?

Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
I'd love to hear what other drivers are doing to protect their cars.

Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.
Graphics kindly provided pro bono by Big Bird Design and Marketing


17/06/2026

A Child's Life Is Worth More Than Being On Time
This morning, I received an email from a deeply concerned parent about a frightening incident that occurred during the school run.

According to the parent, a driver carrying a primary school-aged child was seen driving dangerously and erratically, weaving around vehicles that were travelling at the posted speed limit and moving recklessly through traffic.

The driver was reportedly travelling at around 80km/h in two separate 60km/h zones, including a school area where children were present and students were waiting for buses.

What was most concerning was the reason given when the parent later spoke with the driver.
"I was late for school."
It was 8:38am.

As parents and carers, we all understand the pressures of busy mornings.

We've all experienced those stressful moments when we're running behind schedule, trying to get everyone out the door and where they need to be.

But no amount of lateness is worth risking a child's life.
Not your child.
Not someone else's child.

No school would ever prefer a student to arrive on time if it meant putting lives at risk to get there.
In fact, every school would rather welcome a student through the gate a few minutes late than receive the devastating news that a child has been seriously injured or killed on the way to school.

School zones exist for a reason.
Speed limits exist for a reason.

Those children standing at bus stops, crossing roads, riding bikes, or walking to school are someone's whole world.

A moment of impatience.
A risky overtake.
A few kilometres over the speed limit.
A decision made in frustration.

That's all it takes for a normal school morning to become a tragedy that changes multiple families forever.

This isn't about pointing fingers. It's about reminding all of us to slow down, stay alert, and remember what matters most.

Our children are precious.
Their safety must always come before schedules, appointments, meetings, or being on time.
If you're running late, be late.

If traffic is frustrating, take a breath and continue safely.
If your child misses the bell, they miss the bell.
What matters is that everyone arrives alive.

We're interested to know—have you witnessed similar behaviour around schools in your community?

Have you seen speeding, dangerous driving, illegal parking, or drivers taking unnecessary risks during school drop-off and pick-up times?

Share your experiences in the comments and please share this post to help raise awareness.

Together, we can remind drivers that our children's safety must always come first.

Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.

17/06/2026

Did You Know?
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in Australia Need Special "EV" Labels on their Number Plates.

Most Australians have probably seen them without realising what they are.
If you look closely at many electric and hybrid vehicles, you'll notice a small blue triangular label marked with the letters "EV" attached to the number plate. It might seem insignificant, but this little label plays an important role in road safety and emergency response.

Why Are EV Labels Needed?
Electric and hybrid vehicles contain high-voltage electrical systems that differ significantly from conventional petrol and diesel vehicles.

When emergency services arrive at a crash scene, they need to quickly assess any potential hazards before beginning rescue operations.

Unlike traditional vehicles, electric and hybrid vehicles may contain high-voltage batteries, specialised wiring, and electrical components that require additional precautions during rescue and recovery.

The EV label provides first responders with an immediate visual warning that they are dealing with a vehicle that may require different procedures.

How Does This Help Emergency Services?
For firefighters, rescue crews and paramedics, every second counts.

An EV label can help emergency personnel:
✔ Identify high-voltage battery systems.
✔ Recognise that specialised isolation procedures may be required.
✔ Consider alternative cutting points when using rescue equipment such as hydraulic cutters ("Jaws of Life").
✔ Be aware of potential battery-related fire risks.
✔ Adjust firefighting tactics if a battery fire is involved.
✔ Improve scene safety for both rescuers and vehicle occupants.

While modern EVs are designed with extensive safety systems, emergency responders still need to know what type of vehicle they are dealing with before beginning rescue operations.

Are EV Fires Different?
Yes and no.
Electric vehicle fires are relatively uncommon, but when they do occur, they can behave differently to conventional vehicle fires.

Lithium-ion batteries can experience what's known as thermal runaway, where damaged battery cells generate heat and may reignite after appearing to be extinguished.

Because of this, firefighters often use different monitoring and suppression techniques compared with those used for petrol or diesel vehicle fires.
The EV label helps emergency crews recognise this possibility as soon as they arrive.

Which Vehicles Need the Label?
In many Australian states and territories, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and hydrogen-powered vehicles built or modified after 1 January 2019 are required to display safety labels on their number plates.

Electric and hybrid vehicles display an "EV" label, while hydrogen-powered vehicles display an "H" label.

Failure to display the required label can result in fines or defect notices in some jurisdictions.

It's a Small Sticker With a Big Job.
To most people, it's just a small blue triangle on a number plate.

To emergency responders, it can provide critical information during what may be a life-threatening situation.

As Australia's electric vehicle fleet continues to grow, these simple identifiers help ensure first responders can work safely and efficiently when attending crashes, vehicle fires and other emergencies.

Over to You—
Were you aware that electric and hybrid vehicles often require an EV safety label on their number plates?
Have you ever noticed them while driving?

And we'd especially love to hear from any firefighters, paramedics, SES volunteers, police officers, tow operators or other first responders:

Have these EV labels helped you identify a vehicle at an incident scene? Have you had to adjust your rescue or firefighting approach because of an electric or hybrid vehicle?

Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below. 👇

Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.

Graphics kindly supplied pro bono by Big Bird Design and Marketing

17/06/2026

In your opinion— What is the best Ute in Australia and why?