10 Feb 2010

The fire safety lesson was quite graphic in order to shock the participants into taking care on the road
The dangers of drink/drug driving and dealing with different driving conditions were some of the issues covered at a recent multi-agency road safety event in Ashford.

Around 130 sixth formers from The Towers School joined Kent's emergency services and local authorities to take part in and watch a number of workshops, presentations, displays and a simulated crash scenario by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS).

The day-long event involved partners from organizations including KFRS, Kent Police, Kent Highways Agency, Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership, Red driving school, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the Local Education Authorities.

KFRS Education Team Leader Andy Bigginton said: "Our crews attend 25 per cent more car crashes than house fires and a large number of those people being cut free are young drivers and their passengers.

"Our demonstration was quite graphic in the hope of shocking the students into taking care on the roads. Our message is clear: 'cut it out before we have to cut you out!' Feedback from the day was really positive and it is clear the students enjoyed the event and took some important safety information away with them."

PC Clare Norman, Safer School Partnership Co-coordinator for Ashford, said: "Reducing casualties who are killed or seriously injured on Kent's road networks remains a key priority for Kent Police. Events such as these represent an excellent way of effectively delivering our messages in a hands-on and useful way."