Firefighters are taking to the road alongside partners to raise awareness of road safety.
In its 19th year, the Safe Drive Stay Alive events will reach more than 23,000 young people from schools and colleges across Hampshire and Thames Valley, highlighting the harrowing consequences of road collisions in an emotive and hard-hitting presentation.
The event is aimed at new or pre-drivers to influence their behaviour and attitude when behind the wheel, educating them about the importance of being safe on the road.
The number of young drivers who are killed or seriously injured is disproportionately high. On average, one in four deaths on the road are drivers aged between 17 and 24. Young drivers are more likely to be involved in a crash because of inexperience, lack of knowledge and sometimes irresponsibility.
Speaking at this year’s event will be a young woman who has been left with permanent scars and life-changing injuries as the result of a collision. She will be joined by a young man who has lost both of his legs in the fire which engulfed his car following a crash.
Along with police and ambulance representatives, HIWFRS firefighters will speak about what it’s like dealing with road collisions from first-hand experience and how those incidents could have been avoided.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service firefighter, James Woods, said:
“This year’s Safe Drive Stay Alive scheme is underway across Thames Valley and Hampshire, and this week we will be speaking as part of this collaborative road safety event.
“In a respectful and informative way, we want to highlight the reality of road traffic collisions and the far-reaching and long-lasting consequences that these incidents can have.”
HIWFRS will take part in sessions in Basingstoke and Hedge End this week.
Safe Drive Stay Alive has welcomed more than 324,000 visitors since its first performances in 2006 and is run by Thames Valley and Hampshire Police, fire and rescue and ambulance services, hospital accident and emergency staff and road safety officers from councils across the region.
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For more information on the sessions visit Safe Drive Stay Alive