Teens given a tough ‘stay alive’ message (From This Is Wiltshire)

MORE than 2,700 Year 11 students from across the Swindon area will experience a hard-hitting road safety presentation over the coming few weeks.

Safe Drive Stay Alive uses powerful personal testimony and dramatic video footage to make the audience aware of the tragedy and suffering caused by road traffic collisions.

Firefighters, medics, police officers, bereaved parents and people who have been directly involved in road traffic collisions recount their stories, often in heart-breaking detail.

Students from Royal Wootton Bassett , Braden Forest, Dorcan, Ridgeway, Warneford, Church-fields, Isambard, Nova Hreod , St Joseph’s and Crowdys Hill Schools, together with groups from Swindon College , Lydiard Park Academy, Oakfield Project and Marlborough House Unit, will see the roadshow from Wednesday until October 5.

Safe Drive Stay Alive is led and primarily co-ordinated by Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, and is well supported by other major partners, including Wiltshire Police, SWIFT Medics, Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council , NHS Wiltshire and Honda UK.

Since its launch in 2006, the roadshow has been seen by thousands of students – and the organising team is hoping that it will soon be essential viewing for every school in Swindon and Wiltshire.

Ian Hopkins, road safety development manager at Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “The presentation is hard hitting and upsetting, but we make no apology for that. The speakers are real people who have experienced the horror of road traffic collisions, whether as a member of the emergency services, as a victim or as a parent who has lost a child. “It is this truthfulness that makes it so successful. We know that the young people who see this roadshow are affected, and we have seen the number of young people killed or seriously injured on our roads decrease since it started. We really do make a difference.”

Safe Drive is now on Facebook – search for Safe Drive Stay Alive Wiltshire and click on “like”. Among the comments following last year’s shows were: “The presentation you gave us a couple of weeks ago was so emotional and hard hitting but I have a lot of respect and I will never forget it . . . it has really changed my attitudes for the better” and “Everybody who holds a full or provisional license needs to see this presentation, it will make them think hard about the responsibility when they get behind the wheel”.