The horrifying result of mixing inexperience with ill-placed driving confidence has been relayed to Angus school pupils.
Hundreds of S5 pupils attended Safe Drive Stay Alive put on by emergency services at a filled Reid Hall in Forfar on Tuesday.
The roadshow event was launched in Angus for the first time, having begun in 2007 as a means to educate the young of driving’s dangers.
Tayside’s chief of road policing, Chief Inspector Sandy Bowman, said: ”The effect of last year’s bad weather around this time was that two of the shows were cancelled in Tayside, which was a blow to what we want to be a high-profile event.
”Fortunately we have the opportunity this year to reach an even greater number of pupils than we have before this is vital as they need to take heed of our message at this age.”
From April 2009 to March last year 34 people were killed and 892 were injured on Tayside roads. While not all were attributable to young drivers, many included those in the 17-25 age group.
One speaker said the sad fact is most women killed on the UK’s roads are involved in accidents where the driver has been a young man.
Safe Drive Stay Alive’s intention is to offer an insight into the realities of a fatal road collision in the hope it will change behaviour.
Assistant Chief Constable Angela Wilson said: ”Young people may think they are invincible but, unfortunately, the number of collisions we have to deal with show they are not.
”They need to understand that any risks they take when driving can have monumental effects on themselves, their family and their friends.”
Safe Drive Stay Alive uses video footage of a reconstructed road traffic collision. The stage show also calls upon the experiences of emergency personnel and individuals who are affected by the results of road traffic crashes, who give personal testimonies that reveal the long lasting consequences on their lives.
Tayside Fire and Rescue’s chief fire officer Stephen Hunter said: ”This hard-hitting presentation seeks to raise young people’s awareness of the responsibilities which come with passing their driving test.
”Too many young people, especially young men, think they have learned to drive long before reaching the age of 17 by playing simulated computer driving games.
”When they crash their car spectacularly on screen and the game is over all they have to do is press the restart button to enjoy the thrills again.
“Real life is not like that. Too many young people realise too late that there is no restart button in real life.”
Mr Hunter added: ”Safe Drive Stay Alive does not aim to scare young people. It is designed to get them to think about their actions before they get in the driver or passenger seat.”
Any parent of a teenager who is learning, or will soon learn, to drive who would like to see a show in the area should contact road safety coordinator Marian Scott on 01382 596431.