Safe Drive Stay Alive returns to Swindon

Some 2,500 Year 11 students from across the Swindon area will experience a hard-hitting road safety presentation over the next two 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 heartbreaking detail.

Students from Braden Forest, St Joseph’s, Commonweal, Nova Hreod, Crowdys Hill, Greendown, Ridgeway, Warneford and Wootton Bassett Schools, together with groups from Adolescent School, Swindon Academy and Swindon College, will see the roadshow between 21 and 28 September.

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, explained: "Unless you have seen the presentation for yourself, you can’t truly comprehend the impact it has. Several hundred young people in one place generally leads to a lot of noise, but you can hear a pin drop when the last speaker finishes. It is shocking, it is upsetting, but it works because it is truthful. The people who tell their stories do so because they want the audience to understand the dangers that come with being on the roads, and they want to reach every student in Year 11 with their message."

Comments received by students who have seen the roadshow previously include: "Really upsetting – it’s the personal stories which make it harder and really make you think", "This presentation was so amazing…thank you so much, I will be really careful in cars whether driving or not", and "It was really effective and it made me cry,,, I think all drivers should see this before getting their licence."

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