Think Drive Survive

Think Drive Survive welcomes 20,000th student on 15th anniversary

One prospective young driver will be in for a surprise at an emergency services' road safety event on Monday 15th June.

To celebrate 15 years of delivering the hard-hitting 'Think Drive Survive' course, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire Police are looking forward to presenting the 20,000th student with BSM driving lessons.

Think Drive Survive is an award-winning initiative launched in 2000 to help reduce the number of serious and fatal collisions in Cheshire involving young people. The free course is open to anyone between the ages of 16 and 25.

Cheshire Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: "Road traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for young people in the UK, and Cheshire is no exception.

"My officers have to deal with the devastating aftermath that serous collisions leave behind on a daily basis. Not only are they responding to collisions, but they are also working with the families of victims who have been killed as a result of collisions in Cheshire.

"Since Think Drive Survive was launched we have seen a decrease in the number of serious collisions involving young people in Cheshire. However, of the 528 killed or seriously injured in 2014, 130 (24.6%) were young road users under 25 years of age and 111 (21%) were aged between 20 and 29 – and this is something that I am committed to reducing."

A partnership delivery by Cheshire Police, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Highways England, the course has been designed to be purposely graphic and impactive, featuring presentations from the two emergency services as well as from a senior consultant from the accident and emergency department at the Countess of Chester hospital.

There is input from Northwich mum, Denise Rogers, whose son was tragically killed by a drunk driver. She delivers a first-hand description of the trauma a family goes through when they are told that they have lost a family member in a road collision – the shock and distress felt by everyone, and that there are many victims of a car crash, not just the occupants of the vehicle.

A convicted driver gives an insightful and honest account of their part in a fatal road traffic collision, talking about the court case, life in prison and learning to live with what they have done.

There are also practical exercises and demonstrations for the students to take part in.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Officer Paul Hancock said: "Working in partnership with Cheshire Police and other agencies, we are able to deliver initiatives such as this to help drive down the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.

"We want young drivers and pre-drivers to take a long hard look at their behaviour on the roads, and improve it. Think Drive Survive courses help focus their minds in an impactive and interactive way to demonstrate just why playing their part in road safety is so crucial."

To book you or your child onto the Think Drive Survive course email: peter.shields@cheshirefire.gov.uk

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