PUPILS at Devizes School received a shocking but thought-provoking lesson in road safety on Monday when Wiltshire Fire and Rescue’s Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow paid a visit.
The hard-hitting presentation, which combined powerful personal testimony and dramatic video footage, had the young students horrorstruck by the stories of tragedy and suffering caused by road traffic collisions.
Firefighters, medics, police officers, bereaved parents and people who have been directly involved in collisions recounted their stories.
The roadshow was led by Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service on behalf of a partnership including Wiltshire Police, SWIFT Medics, Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, NHS Wiltshire and Honda UK.
Since its launch in 2006, the roadshow has been seen by thousands of students – and the organising team is hoping that it will soon be essential viewing for every school in Swindon and Wiltshire.
Ian Hopkins, road safety development manager at Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “The presentation is hard hitting and upsetting, but we make no apology for that.
“The speakers are real people who have experienced the horror of road traffic collisions, whether as a member of the emergency services, as a victim or as a parent who has lost a child.
“It is this truthfulness that makes it so successful.”
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