Campaign to reduce road deaths goes into schools - 15-05-2008

Officers from Leicestershire Constabulary's Road Policing Unit are going into schools as part of a campaign to reduce the number of young people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

In conjunction with the road safety charity Brake, specially trained officers are giving presentations at schools to raise awareness of road safety among 15 and 16 year olds.

The presentation includes hard hitting videos which highlight the dangers teenagers face as pedestrians, drivers or passengers in a car driven by another young person. The scenarios include a crash in which the rear seat passenger isn't wearing a seatbelt; a drink driver who kills a little boy; and a teenage boy who steps in front of a lorry and is killed because he is texting his mate on his mobile phone. One video also looks at the devastating impact a young person's death has on their family and friends.

PC Samm Emmett is one of the officers trained by Brake to give the presentation to schools. She said: "The short films we show are hard hitting and very thought-provoking. They really bring home the stark reality of irresponsible driving. Unfortunately officers from the Road Policing Unit have to face this reality every day.

"We hope that by going into schools we can make teenagers aware of the dangers at a time when they are starting to ride mopeds or travel as passengers in cars driven by other young people.

"We certainly see a change in attitude in the pupils from the start of the presentation to the end. At the beginning they are quite flippant, but when we tell them how many young people die on the roads each year and then show them the videos they start to understand the realities of irresponsible driving and the devastating consequences it can have."

Inspector Vivienne Brenchley, commander of the Road Policing Unit, said: "Young drivers are a key group with regard to fatal casualties on the roads. In 2007 a total of 27 young people under the age of 25 were killed in road traffic collisions in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. In the same age group, a further 138 were seriously injured and 1,438 were slightly injured.

"My officers don't want to respond to crashes, they want to prevent them. This presentation aims to do that by proactively educating young people about the dangers and terrible consequences of irresponsible driving. The feedback from teachers and pupils has been very positive."

Officers have so far given presentations to three groups of pupils at Beaumont Leys School. Assistant head of Year 11 Jo Harrison said: "These presentations have already had a dramatic effect on the attitudes of the 15 and 16 year olds to whom they have been shown.

"Before watching the presentation many students had a flippant attitude to road safety, exacerbated by the peer pressure of wanting to appear adult. Whilst they were aware of some of the dangers encountered on the roads, they hadn't had to face the harsh realities of traffic accidents and weren't aware of the shocking prevalence with which they can occur, or of the consequences to all involved.

"Although graphic and at times horrific to watch, the videos send an important message to all who see them - and that includes the staff at school."

Any school that would like to receive a presentation by officers from the Road Policing Unit can leave a message for PC 4150 Samm Emmett by calling Leicestershire Constabulary on 0116 222 2222. Follow the instructions to leave a message and when prompted key in the officer's identification number 4150.

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