Emergency services to reconstruct car smash to teach students a graphic lesson

A GRAPHIC demonstration of the effects of poor driving is to be given to students in West Somerset as part of a road safety campaign by the emergency services.
It will involve a full reconstruction of a road traffic collision to be staged for sixth form students at the West Somerset Community College, Minehead.
The event will show exactly what happens to the occupants of a vehicle after it has been involved in a serious accident.
Ambulance, police, and firefighters will show what they do when rescuing casualties from a crashed car.
Jon Martin, of the Somerset Road Safety Partnership, who has been a fireman for 24 years, said: “Many of the students watching will be turning 17 and about to start learning to drive, so just maybe this will slow them down and make them think.
“The college has been very supportive and is keen to make it an annual event. Teachers are even designing lessons and question papers around the day.”
The demonstration takes place on Thursday, December 6, and will also include presentations by representatives from the road safety partnership, a driving simulator, and questions and answers.
The emergency services will also be highlighting their annual Christmas drink-drive message.
The national campaign will aim to convince all drivers, with a particular focus on young male drivers aged between 17 and 29 years, that a drink-drive conviction has the potential to ruin their life, by highlighting a mixture of the legal and personal consequences.
These include:

• being caught and breathalysed by the police
• a minimum12-month driving ban
• a criminal record
• a hefty fine
• lifestyle changes (ie, potential loss of job, relationships, or car)