- Campaigning mother will relieve the day her daughter was killed in a car crash
- The Fire Service will lead a workshop on the impact of a collision
- Road Safety Partnership workshop comparing how we ‘think’ we drive with how we ‘actually’ drive
- Family Liaison Officer will talk about how they break the news
- Medical workshop on the physiology of a crash, what happens to the human body on impact
- Students can feel for themselves through wearing special goggles the impact of driving under the influence of drink or drugs…
- And ‘get behind the wheel’ on a driving simulator and feel the impact of hitting a vehicle at seven miles per hour.
Campaigning mother Heather Davies will mark the loss of her daughter in a car crash by delivering a personal warning to students two days before what would have been her daughter’s 22nd birthday.
Leanne Davies, 19, was killed when the car driven by her former boyfriend crashed into a wall at Longhope in the Forest of Dean in 2013. Paul Reddan, 21, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and jailed for six years.
Heather will tell her story to the next generation of drivers at Rednock School in Dursley. She has been working with a team including Year 12 students, school staff and members of the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership ahead of the county’s latest ‘Drive for Life’ event. (Rednock School, Tuesday 15 March).
Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl , who has written to sixth formers and their parents urging them to take part, said:
“This must be a particularly difficult time for Heather and I cannot express my gratitude enough that she is again giving up her time to relive her most painful experience in the hope it will do more good.
“I am grateful too that students and staff at Rednock have embraced the event and have been involved in the planning to make sure it is relevant to this audience”.
Sixth formers Vicki Grimshaw and Keira Madden said,
“Our Drive for Life day will be a very valuable experience to every student at Rednock 6th Form.
“We felt that it was important for students to be involved in the organising of this event because of the importance of driving within our age group. We believe this event will leave every student with the knowledge and understanding of safe driving which they can take with them for the rest of their lives”.
Head Teacher Dave Alexander said,
“This is an important piece of training; all of our 6th form students are involved in this because we value it so highly”.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Officer Stewart Edgar, who is Director of Operations for the Road Safety Partnership and priority lead for Safe and social driving said,
“The Drive For life event is an opportunity for students to learn about the harsher side of driving, but most importantly it is aimed at protecting the futures of our young people, their family and friends by keeping them safe on the roads of our county”.
