Cleveland Road Safety Partnership came together in their support of Project EDWARD with the aim of helping to reduce road fatalities with a dynamic Road Safety Event held in May.
With drivers aged between 17 and 24 statistically found to be the highest risk group on North East roads, the initiative which took place on Wednesday 15th May 2024 at NETA Training Group in Stockton-on-Tees aimed to foster safer driving habits amongst young drivers and passengers.
Shocking statistics show that young drivers hold just 6% of driving licences in the region, but account for 17% of driver casualties on the road. Nationally, the figure is 9% and 22%.
During the past five years alone, 37 young drivers and passengers have been killed and 589 seriously injured in collisions that could easily have been avoided.
The Road Safety event included a number of thought-provoking sessions which were delivered throughout the day. This included a staged crash scene where NETA learners experienced the post-crash response deployed by Cleveland Fire Brigade when rescuing casualties from a wrecked car, demonstrating the challenges both casualties and rescuers face.
Andrew Bright, Cleveland Fire Brigade’s Road Safety Co-ordinator said: “This event gave apprentices a real hands-on opportunity to learn about the key risks that can face drivers and passengers on our roads, but more importantly has helped give them strategies to avoid the dangers that can so often wreck lives.”
With speeding, distraction, drink, drug driving and failing to wear seatbelts considered to be the fatal four causes of road casualties involving young people the trainees and apprentices from NETA took part in an engagement carousel of road safety elements which addressed the ‘Fatal Four’.
NETA learners also had the opportunity to take a virtual reality car journey and see first-hand the harrowing consequences of a road crash, which could have easily been prevented.
Andrew Bright from Cleveland Fire Brigade delivered a hard-hitting drink drive case study, which demonstrated how lives can be wrecked by driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both.
The Police Safety Camera Team also demonstrated the latest laser speed detection equipment as part of the day designed to raise awareness of the consequences of excess or inappropriate speeds on our roads.
National Highways and Cleveland Police Collision Investigation Unit were on hand to discuss their roles and how to stay safe when using the road network.
