Thursday 1
November
12.00hrs
A hard-hitting presentation aimed at educating the next wave of
young drivers about road safety will be launched by Avon Fire &
Rescue Service (AF&RS) at a Bristol sixth form centre on
Friday.
The package has been launched to coincide with this year’s Road
Safety Week which runs from 5 – 11 November.
Over 100 Year 12 students from the South West Bristol Post-16
Centre, based at Ashton Park School in Bower Ashton, will see the
presentation which features first hand accounts of road accidents,
thought-provoking safety films and photographs taken at the scene
of incidents attended by AF&RS.
With statistics showing that young drivers are more likely to
kill or injure themselves or their passengers in a road accident,
the presentation is targeted at students who are likely to become
new drivers within the next couple of years.
It is hoped that by making students aware of hazards such as
driving while using a mobile phone, under the influence of drugs,
or being pressured into erratic and dangerous driving by
passengers, they will stop themselves from becoming another
statistic.
The RoadSkills presentation, which focuses on the consequences
of people’s actions rather than preach rights and wrongs, will be
offered to all schools within the AF&RS area and is in response
to the success of a three-day road safety event which was staged at
@Bristol last year.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) John Dando said: “Many road
traffic collisions attended by our firefighters tragically often
involve the death of a young driver and/or their passengers.
“The repercussions are far reaching - from families and
friends who have to cope with the death of a loved-one, to the
emergency services who have in many cases battled to keep the
casualty alive.
“As firefighters, we know that death is something we could
encounter at any incident we attend. But it is never easy, and
especially hard knowing that a young life has ended as a result of
careless or reckless driving – something that is very
avoidable.
“The freedom associated with passing your driving test can all
too easily be marred by a momentary lapse in concentration or by
making the wrong decision. If our RoadSkills presentation can
prevent just one young driver from making this wrong decision it
will be worth it.”
Staff from the South West Bristol Post-16 Centre at Ashton Park
School were keen to bring the AF&RS RoadSkills presentation to
their students as it fits in with the school’s personal development
programme.
Penny Temple, Post-16 Learning Support Coordinator, said: “As a
Post-16 centre we strongly believe that we have a duty of care to
facilitate access to age-appropriate information.
“The RoadSkills presentation will enable our students to become
safe and responsible road users and also allow them to model good
practice that is set out in the Highway
Code.”