Sixth FORMERS BEGIN NEW YEAR WITH SAFER DRIVING

“THE moment someone loses control of a car can be the same moment that someone loses their life”.

Stockport students were asked to imagine how they would feel as a driver in that split second during a day of activities to make them think differently about driving.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service played a huge role in making a real impact on sixth formers at Aquinas College on the Drive 2 Live day in December.

The day started with a play about a group of young people who are involved in a collision and was followed by a shocking demonstration from Whitehill and Offerton’s Blue Watch firefighters that showed the full horror of what it’s like to be trapped in a car after a collision.

GMFRS Community Safety Advisor Oliver Harrison said: “Overall the day was a great success and the students engaged with us and the subject really well.
 
“After a short play about a group of young people being involved in a road traffic collision, Blue Watch firefighters from Whitehill and Offerton came racing into the college grounds on blue lights.
 
“The students were ushered outside to see a crashed car, occupied by the actors they had just seen in the play.
 
“A full extrication of the casualties then took place narrated by Crew Manager Geoff Bragger before one actor was dramatically cut free and another, unfortunately, pronounced dead at the scene.

“Thankfully, this was all staged and acted out but, even then, it really makes an impact on the young people to see what would happen if they were involved in something like that.”

GMFRS gets involved in initiatives like Drive 2 Live because crews now rescue more people from road traffic collisions than they do from fires, meaning that firefighters are out dealing with the devastation a smash can cause on a daily basis.
 
Educating young people to help them be safer on the roads is part of the GMFRS Road Safety Strategy – a brand new commitment to work with other agencies to help prevent and reduce road traffic collisions in Greater Manchester.

Following the demonstration, the 60 students that were taking part were split into groups and took part in workshops involving GMFRS community safety staff, police and members of the Stockport Council Road Safety Unit.

Oliver added: “The fire service workshop was repeated four times throughout the day and we asked the students to think about what it is like the moment you lose control in a car and what it might be like to be in a serious collision.
 
“As well as open discussion about their own experiences as passengers in vehicles, the students also took part in group exercises and got to hot-seat one of the actors in character about the fictitious road traffic collision earlier in the day.”

Eddie Moore, Vice Principal at the college said, “At Aquinas we have always maintained that our primary aim is to care for our students. We do whatever we can do to promote their wellbeing.

“So we are grateful for this opportunity provided by Stockport Council Road Safety Unit and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. 

“Our students are learning to drive or passengers of young drivers and we want them to understand the consequences of their actions and stay safe.”

Councillor Ian Roberts, who is Stockport Council’s transport lead, said “This is an excellent example of partnership working, with the support of the emergency services being invaluable in helping Stockport’s Road Safety Team organise and deliver the project. 

“Feedback from the young people involved clearly shows that all the presentations delivered made a great impact.” 

You can see more on the GMFRS Road Safety Strategy here http://authority.manchesterfire.gov.uk/Published/C00000186/M00000429/AI00001639/$Appendix4RoadSafetyStrategy2012.doc.pdf.

More about the Drive 2 Live project can be seen on the  Stockport Council website http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/transport/gettingaround/stayingsafeontheroad/roadsafetytraining/drive2live.

Source: Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue