TWELVE hundred teenagers from the Derry and Strabane Council area gathered at the Foyle Arena this week for a special roadshow highlighting the dangers on our roads.
The Roadsafe Roadshow aims to reinforce the importance of road safety to new drivers given the high number of people aged 25 and under who are killed or injured on our roads each year.
The event was delivered by the PSNI in partnership with the Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP).
The show depicts graphically how a night out can end in tragedy and permanent disability.
The story is told by a police officer, a paramedic, a fire officer, an Accident and Emergency consultant and a young person paralysed following a horrific collision.
It also includes an account from a young man who served a custodial sentence for causing the death of another person while driving a car.
Speaking after the event, Road Safety Education Officer Constable Stuart Crutchley said: “It was fantastic to see students from so many schools taking an active interest in being safer and more responsible road users.
“The personal accounts from the emergency service personnel were particularly harrowing but necessary to fully get across the carnage and devastation a fatal road traffic crash can leave behind.
“We believe that showing realistically what happens on our roads has an impact on the students who attend.
“I hope that after seeing the roadshow they realise that they are not indestructible; that they are as vulnerable on the roads as the next person and that they must respect the roads and other users.”
Commenting on the event, Chair of the Derry and Strabane PCSP, Councillor Sandra Duffy, added: “This was an excellent event which delivered a hard hitting message to all those in attendance.
“The event was one of a number of initiatives the PCSP was involved in for Road Safety Week.
“I would like to thank all our emergency services for the sterling work they do in keeping people safe and I would particularly like to thank every one of the 1,200 young people who attended the event.
“The message is clear: a split second distraction when driving can destroy many lives.”
The Roadsafe Roadshow has been running since 2001 and is sponsored by AXA Insurance NI
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