Young motorists have been given the chance to learn about how be safe on the road with the return of the Drivewise initiative.
The project, run by Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Fife Council’s Safer Communities team, promotes good driving skills in a bid to reduce the number of young drivers killed or seriously injured in accidents.
Around 120 pupils from Viewforth High School, St Andrews Roman Catholic High School and Levenmouth High Academy attended the three days of training at Leuchars Military Base where they were given the experience a virtual reality collision.
The students also got to try on beer goggles to see how alcohol impairs driving ability and received instruction on road traffic signs and the Highway Code.
A modified car with a number of faults was also brought along to help the students identify the regular issues that arise in cars and how these can impact on your driving.
A seatbelt simulator also demonstrated to students the huge important role safety restraints play in saving lives of those involved in a crash.
Commenting on the event, Chief Superintendent Derek McEwan, Divisional Commander for Fife, said: “As part of Operation Paramount, we are committed to reducing fatal and serious injury collisions in Fife and the Drivewise initiative is an excellent example of partnership working aimed at keeping young people safe on our roads.
“Young drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in a collision and we want to equip this age group with all the relevant information they require to make sensible decisions when getting behind the wheel.
“A variety of factors, such as alcohol consumption, distracted driving, speeding and failure to wear a seatbelt all contribute to the range of serious collisions we observe in Fife and Drivewise aims to highlight all these issues to the young attendees and ensure they do not become one of our statistics.
“For many, Drivewise is their first experience of being in control of a vehicle and I am extremely grateful to our colleagues at the Leuchars military base for providing us with a sterile venue to let the young attendees safely practice.”
Judy Hamilton, convener of Fife Council’s Community and Housing Services Committee, added: “This is a fantastic way for our young people to experience situations, and give them an understanding of just how responsible you have to be before you get behind the wheel of a car.
“It’s important to help educate our youngsters on positive driving attitudes and developing good habits early.
“This event is key to having safe and considerate drivers on our roads.”
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