Shocking results of car crash viewed by pupils

Shocking results of car crash viewed by pupils

22 November 2017

MORE than 300 local secondary school pupils recently attended a major road safety event organised by Comber Rotary Club.

Entitled ‘Just One Life’, emergency services took part and created a dramatic reconstruction of a road crash and its consequences.

In the mock crash scene involving a young driver and a cyclist staged by the PSNI, Fire and Rescue Service and Ambulance Service, three students from Nendrum College played the parts of the young driver, his passenger and the cyclist victim. 

In the dramatised court case that followed, the driver was charged with a number of offences and an appropriate sentence handed down by a judge.

Among the eight schools taking part were Saintfield High School, St Colman’s High School, Ballynahinch and St Colmcille’s High School, Crossgar. All were given stark advice on the dangers of driving by the event’s patron, Dame Mary Peters, members of the PSNI and representatives from the Department for Infrastructure and Oakland Insurance.

PSNI Inspector Rosemary Leech advised that young inexperienced drivers were more at risk than any other age group. 

“So far this year 12 young lives have been needlessly lost, a figure that is way out of proportion to the number of young drivers as a percentage of the driving population,” she said.

“The main factors in crashes are over-confidence in your driving ability, leading to excess speed. Also carelessness, the use of mobile phones, and alcohol and drugs, creating feelings of invincibility. Finally, failing to wear seat belts risks you or your passengers being ejected from the vehicle.” 

The inspector also had a stern message for passengers.

“Remember: It may be your behaviour that distracts your driver and leads to an accident,” she said. “You need to speak up if you’re uncomfortable with the driver’s behaviour.” 

During Road Safety Week, which runs until November 26, the PSNI’s theme will be Speed. Inspector Leech advised: “The speed limit is the maximum speed you should be travelling at and it should not be regarded as a target.”

The event concluded with a presentation on the impact of accidents on the costs of insurance and a screening of the Department for Infrastructure’s latest road safety TV films.