Students, teachers and administrators at two Nanaimo high schools will get a better understanding of risks associated with distracted driving. (TIRF)

By Ian Holmes

being aware

Road safety presentations scheduled for Nanaimo high schools

Oct 20, 2025 | 5:28 AM

NANAIMO — With distracted driving a paramount safety issue for all road users, a long-standing non-profit organization aims to steer the problem in the right direction.

Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), an Ottawa-based road safety research institute, is staging workshops this week at Dover Bay Secondary School and John Barsby Community School.

Karen Bowman, a Nanaimo resident who serves as TIRF’s communications and programs director, said their workshops empower youth with the knowledge to help make safer decisions, regardless of what kind of road user they are.

She’s noticed an alarming trend of rising numbers of youth being in vehicles operated by a distracted driver.

“Over the last five to eight years, we’ve seen a shift to significantly more than 50 per cent, often closer to 80 per cent and more are raising their hands when I asked that question about who’s been driven around by a distracted driver,” Bowman told NanaimoNewsNOW.

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Bowman said the presentations in front of over 1,000 combined students at Nanaimo schools includes providing factual data of causal factors leading to vehicle crashes, as well as interactive exercises and open dialogue with students.

“It’s about providing relatable, easy-to-digest information,” Bowman added, who stressed a key goal is empowering youth to have honest conversations with family members about limiting distractions to improve safety.

Bowman said the school-based presentations are not a lecture.

“It’s usually one of my opening lines because they’re used to being like ‘Oh, you’re youth, you’re addicted to your phones, you must be the problem.’ Well, the data doesn’t support that, the data supports that all ages are engaging in this behaviour.”

Nanaimo RCMP officers are co-presenters at the TIRF workshops, taking place Tuesday, Oct 21 at Dover Bay school and Thursday, Oct. 23 at John Barsby school.

This week is Canadian Youth Road Safety Week.

Nanaimo students are participating in the Traffic Injury Research Foundation’s Drop it and Drive program. (TIRF)

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