Road safety – driver training

We are lucky to have a very enthusiastic Road Safety Partnership whose members have worked together on numerous road safety initiatives over the last few years.

The Partnership includes representatives from:

• London Ambulance Service
• London Fire Brigade
• London Safety Camera Partnership
• Metropolitan Police Service - local borough and traffic police officers
• Enfield Council's School Improvement Service
• Enfield Council's Road Safety Team

Safe Drive Stay Alive - Enfield (SDSA) is our biggest project to date and is a powerful piece of Theatre In Education aimed at reducing road casualties among 16- to 18-year-olds. Between 2003 and 2007, 1,439 youngsters between 17 and 25 years old were involved in road crashes in Enfield. Nineteen died.

SDSA revolves around a video reconstructing the events leading to a crash where five youngsters were involved. Based on a true story, it shows a promising footballer and his mate who take three girls out for a drive in his mate's car. Egged on by the others, the driver starts to show off by speeding, and the car crashes into a skip. Two girls are killed and the young footballer is paralysed for life, ending his hopes of becoming a professional footballer. The video concludes with the driver and the surviving girl contemplating the knowledge that their friends were killed as a result of their actions.

The video stops at relevant points for a police traffic officer, a paramedic and a firefighter to go on-stage. They recount their personal experiences in dealing with road traffic collisions and how the accidents affected not only the victims, and their friends and families, but the professionals too.

They are then followed by:

• A speaker who has had a family member involved in a serious or fatal road crash; and
• A speaker who is a victim who has survived a serious crash.

There are a number of speakers from each 'category'; none of them are actors and they all speak from personal experiences.

SDSA emphasises on four key messages:

• Speed
• Drink and/or drug driving
• Seat belts
• Peer pressure

These are major contributors to the disproportionate number of young people being involved in car crashes, in terms of their frequency and severity.

In October 2008, more than 2,000 sixth-formers from Enfield secondary schools attended the project. The teenagers were understandably excited to see popular Kiss FM radio deejays, Big Ted and Manny. A lightning video tour of Enfield raised loud cheers when their respective schools flashed up on screen before the audience was suddenly and emphatically brought back to reality by still photographs of local car crashes and related newspaper coverage.

Gory details did not have to be shown. The speakers' graphic accounts were enough to dramatically change the audience's mood. They clearly left a lasting impression - this showed on their faces as they left the theatre at the end of the performance. Suddenly the reality of how easily tragedy can strike as the result of a car crash if they don't follow the key messages.

SDSA sets out to inform how these young people, as drivers and passengers, can improve their safety on the road. We hope that after attending SDSA, they will:

• Moderate their behaviour and attitude when they become drivers
• Feel empowered to not take a ride from a young driver who is likely to drive at excessive speed or has been drinking or taking drugs, and use peer pressure as a positive influence on the driver

The theatre performance is just part of a package that is being delivered to schools and families. A Teachers' Resource pack has been produced, providing ideas for teachers and the Schools Police Officers attached to all the secondary schools, to work with the students, before and after the performance, reinforcing the four key messages above and exploring related issues.

The school staff's initial feedback shows that they feel SDSA is very effective and worthwhile and look forward to the event on an annual basis. We have also heard of numerous instances where the students spread the word about SDSA to their friends and families.

We can never know the number of lives that might have been saved or the number of serious crashes that may be avoided by bringing SDSA to this group of vulnerable road users but we are confident we have brought about a fundamental change in their perception of road safety.

Safe Drive Stay Alive - Enfield 2009 will be held at the Millfield Theatre from 19 to 23 October.