Tayside Fire & Rescue
Safe Drive Stay Alive


SAFE DRIVE STAY ALIVE

Tayside’s emergency services will reach out to more than 3500 school children in the run up to Christmas and implore them to drive safely and increase their chances of living.

And for the first time, the fifth year pupils will be joined at the Safe Drive Stay Alive road show by students from Angus and Perth colleges.The event is being held in Angus on Tuesday and Wednesday 25-26 November 2008 at the Reid Hall; in Dundee on Tuesday and Wednesday 2-3 December 2008, at the Whitehall Theatre; and in Perth at the Bells Sports Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday 9-10 December 2008.

The project’s organisers and partners include Tayside Fire and Rescue and Tayside Police, with support from NHS Tayside, the Scottish Ambulance Service, the three local authorities and their respective Community Safety Partnerships.

Some of the young audience will have recently passed their driving tests. Others will be having driving lessons or about to embark upon the journey to attain their full driving licence.

All evidence points towards this group of young drivers and passengers as the most vulnerable and most likely to be involved in a road traffic collision.

The aim of Safe Drive Stay Alive is to give the audience a true sense of their own mortality and clearly illustrate the very real dangers that arise when road safety is neglected.  Factors include inexperience, a lack of driver awareness, distraction and, at times, over confidence.

Sir Arnold Clark said:

‘‘As the nature of my business may suggest, I am extremely passionate about cars and consider driving a pleasure. Because I’m on the road a lot visiting my branches, I’ve seen some terrible road traffic accidents and it has made me even more aware of road safety.

‘‘Such is my concern that I’m delighted to announce my company’s association with Safe Drive Stay Alive (Tayside) for the second year running.’’
 
The event is held annually in a number of regions across Scotland.  2007 saw it rolled out in Tayside and, whilst there is no measure as to the long term impact of the show, pupils who attended Safe Drive Stay Alive last year said the show will make them think more about road safety when driving or as a passenger.

There is continued concern nationally about the high number of young drivers responsible for fatal and serious road traffic collisions – incidents that clearly affect the individuals directly involved and also their families, friends and, indeed, the relatives and friends of their passengers and other road users.

Road collisions are the main cause of death and injury to young people in Scotland. The Government has set targets for 2010 to reduce the numbers of children and young people who are killed or seriously injured on the roads by 40% and 50%, respectively.

Stephen Hunter, Chief Fire Officer, Tayside Fire and Rescue said:

‘‘Road traffic collisions have devastating consequences, not only for those directly involved, but also for their families, friends and the wider community. Tayside Fire and Rescue actively supports this Safe Drive Stay Alive (Tayside) initiative as a valuable means of raising the awareness of the dangers associated with driving amongst young people.

‘‘Through working in partnership with all of our Safe Drive Stay Alive (Tayside) partners we hope that this initiative will contribute to safer road users in Tayside.’’

Safe Drive Stay Alive’s content is at times shocking and at times very upsetting.  Organisers make no apologies for putting the show’s audience through the emotional wringer.  Due to the nature of the messages and the distress they may cause, students are given the opportunity to opt out.
 
An audio visual event, it graphically illustrates the tragic circumstances surrounding serious and fatal road traffic collisions.

People whose lives have been irrevocably altered by a road traffic collision share their personal experiences with the young audience, as do the professionals who deal with the aftermath of a serious collision.
 
Tayside Police Chief Constable, Kevin Mathieson, said:

‘‘Unless you are someone who has been directly affected by a serious or fatal collision - whether you were in the collision, or it was a family member or a friend - it is impossible to imagine the full horror of such a tragedy.

‘‘The emergency services are at the front line of dealing with such collisions and with those families whose lives have been turned upside down.

‘‘Many of the collisions that we deal with could have been avoided or their impact reduced if only those involved had reduced their speed, fastened their seatbelt, or not taken drugs or alcohol.

‘‘Similarly, other incidents could have turned out differently if only more attention had been given to driving with all due care and attention to the road, other road users and the surrounding environment.
 
‘‘Tayside Police works hard at educating all road users in relation to safe behaviour and positive attitudes. Engineering measures may change road designs, but drivers need to understand how to read roads and identify any potential hazards.

‘‘Many young drivers are over-confident in their driving ability, but lack the driving skills that experience brings. Consequently, they take risks which can have fatal consequences. In attempting to reduce serious and fatal injuries on our roads, we recognise that young drivers are an over-represented group in many of the serious and fatal collisions on Tayside’s roads.

‘‘The Safe Drive Stay Alive initiative aims to educate young drivers and will hopefully assist in making the roads of Tayside safer for everyone.’’