As part of this year’s Road Safety Week (19-25 November 2018) the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) in partnership with the Downpatrick, Rowallane & Slieve Croob District Electoral Areas, the PSNI and the Policing & Community Safety Partnership hosted a Road Safety initiative in the South East Regional College in Downpatrick.
Young people within the college were able to participate in a variety of safety initiatives including the NIFRS ‘Your Choice’ Programme which is aimed at ages 16-24. Virtual reality technology was used to educate young people on the dangers on our roads.
Alan Walmsely, Assistant Chief Fire & Rescue Officer said: “This technology allows young peopleto wear a headset and experience the stark reality of being trapped in a vehicle. As a front seat passenger in the virtual world, they become part of a crash scene and experience the dramatic sights and sounds of emergency services arriving on the scene and the resulting rescue and removal of casualties.
“It is uncompromisingly direct and honest and a reminder to young people that they have a choice to decide what kind of road user they and their passengers will be. Those decisions are vital to their safety and the safety of the other road users.
Sadly, 16-24 year olds continue to be over represented in the statistics for those killed or seriously injured on our roads. In the last year alone, Firefighters attended 790 road traffic collisions rescuing 536 people trapped in vehicles. Along with other emergency services we witness all too often the carnage on our roads and the lives completely destroyed.”
In addition to this programme, the young people experienced a demonstration of a real live car cut out by the NIFRS, with some of them participating as the casualties in the accident. The PSNI demonstrated their role in an accident of this nature.
For the first time in the Downpatrick area the Evo Simulator Vehicle was in the grounds of the College. Young people had the opportunity to sit in a driving simulator which highlighted the dangers of driving a vehicle on the road and how easy it is to ‘lose control’.
Councillor Mark Murnin, Chairman of Newry Mourne & Down District Council said: “This is an excellent initiative for the young people of this area to help them understand the dangers they can experience when driving. I would like to thank the local SERC for agreeing to host such a worthwhile programme and all the Agencies that have worked together to make it happen.”
