Safe Drive roadshow goes to Tidworth

Soldiers at Tidworth Army Camp will be shown a hard-hitting road safety roadshow on Friday (7 November) in an effort to reduce the number of accidents involving young soldiers.

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.

Members of the emergency services, bereaved parents and those left disabled by road traffic accidents speak of their experiences, giving an immensely personal touch to the road safety message.

The scheme is led and primarily co-ordinated by Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, and is well supported by other major partners, including Wiltshire Police, Great Western Ambulance Service, Wiltshire County Council, Swindon Borough Council, Roadpeace and road safety charity Brake.

Launched in 2006, the roadshow was initially aimed at Year 11 students, but this year it has been extended to cover military personnel as well. The presentation on Friday is the third since April and it will be followed by a visit to RAF Lyneham on Thursday 13 November.

Ian Hopkins, Road Safety Manager at Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, explained: “Young soldiers coming back to Britain after a tour of duty abroad are at serious risk of being involved in a road traffic collision. In Wiltshire, we have seen far too many people from the military community being injured or killed on our roads. By taking the Safe Drive, Stay Alive roadshow to Tidworth, we have been able to target this high risk group and hopefully make them more aware of the dangers they face.”

He added: “Safe Drive, Stay Alive is successful because it’s real, it’s delivered by real people with real stories to tell and no actors are used. It’s a highly emotional experience - both for the audience and for those who courageously revisit and honestly share the most devastating aspect of their personal lives.”

Feedback from the roadshows held so far has been very positive, with one soldier saying: “I’ve never had a lecture that truly changed the way I go about doing things. I’ve been so lucky in the past when it comes to driving and taking risks... but having sat in on that has honestly, hand on heart, changed the way I go about driving and put my pushing my luck to an end. Thank you so much for all the input and thank you for possibly saving my life.”

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