Doctor all too familiar with grog legacy
West Australian of the Year Bruce Robinson has seen firsthand the consequences of drink-driving.
"Beautiful young women who've had their faces shredded because they've gone through the windscreen . . . someone full of grog who wants to see how much speed they can get out of a new car who becomes a quadriplegic for the rest of their life," Dr Robinson said.
"As a young doctor I saw the acute consequences. These are not trivial things. It's just awful stuff."
Dr Robinson, who launched the award-winning Fathering Project in WA 13 years ago, has backed the Pledge For Nate campaign.
More than 5000 people have taken the pledge not to drink and drive and to stop others from drinking and driving.
Dr Robinson believes fathers have a big role to play when it comes to preventing drink-driving. He said many dads had "no idea" what their children were getting up to.
Research by the Fathering Project showed 95 per cent of fathers did not talk to their children about peer pressure. "Fathers are good at encouraging their kids to take healthy risks, but they also need to teach them not to cross what we call the 'thin red line'," he said.
Dr Robinson, who is also director of the National Centre of Asbestos Related Diseases, said it was a much more dangerous time for the children of today.
The Fathering Project is working on a DVD about drink-driving to offer tips for dads and their children.
