An event has been held outside Penrith today (15 Oct) aimed at helping save young lives on Cumbria’s roads.
Teenagers from north Cumbria attended the county’s first Safe Drive, Stay Alive event this morning at Rheged, Penrith.
The event saw more than 150 sixth-form aged pupils from QEGS in Penrith and Appleby Grammar School attend a road safety presentation which sees bereaved families working with emergency services personnel to send a strong message on the consequences of unsafe driving.
The presentation is inspired by a similar programme which has been run in Lancashire since 2015.
Inspector Steve Minnikin of Cumbria Constabulary’s Mobile Support Group, said: “The aim is to change attitudes of young drivers and those who will soon be driving by using hard-hitting, real-life experiences from paramedics, fire fighters and police officers who attend serious and fatal road traffic collisions.
“However, some of the most impactful testimony comes from those who have lost family members themselves and we are grateful to our speakers who have been able to attend this first presentation and help us get our messages home.
“I’d like to thank the schools who have recognised the importance of the message we’re trying to get across and given up valuable time in their school week to come along to the session. I would also like to express the gratitude of everyone at Cumbria Constabulary to our colleagues at Lancashire Constabulary and Inspector Andy Trotter’s team, the other emergency services and the families of fatal and serious road traffic collisions who all travelled up to our county to deliver this professional presentation.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria Peter McCall: “Today’s presentation at Rheged on ‘Safe Drive, Stay Alive’ was hard hitting, heartfelt, personal and extremely impactful. None of us think we will be involved in an accident and it is too easy to think it won’t happen to us.
“I hope the real life tragic accounts given from the Fire and Rescue service, family liaison officer, north west ambulance service and bereaved family member will make the sixth form students from Appleby and Penrith think carefully in the future.
“Some of the presenters asked some incredibly thought provoking questions – how would you feel if you were responsible for killing a friend, partner or family member? Maybe reading that text was not as important as you thought? Can you imagine living with the knowledge that your driving had caused a death?
“Raising awareness, with a clear message ‘Safe Drive, Stay Alive’ is essential – dangerous driving is real, it’s local and it’s what matters to us. Taking time to think carefully about the consequences of our actions when behind the wheel is vital.”
There are plans for Safe Drive, Stay Alive to become a regular presentation throughout the county, with the aim being to positively impact as many young people as possible.
Find out more at www.wastedlives.co.uk
