Prizes for schools supporting road safety
The schools all sent pupils to the Thames Valley-wide Safe Drive Stay Alive presentations and were entered into a prize draw which was held to mark the 10th anniversary of the campaign.
All three Oxfordshire schools who have supported SDSA from the start found they had been lucky winners and will receive the tablets from Oxfordshire County Council fire and Rescue Service Road Safety Officer Julie Jones.
Road Safety Manager for the Fire Service Mick Clarke said:“The number of young people killed or injured in motoring accidents is a huge cause for concern and anything we can do to bring those casualty figures down is an important part of our work.
“ In 2015 in Oxfordshire, around 1 in 5 deaths on the road and 1 in 4 of all road casualties involved someone aged 17-24, with young drivers being the highest casualty group for road traffic collisions.”
“Safe Drive Stay Alive is aimed at soon to be and newly qualified drivers with an emotive and hard-hitting presentation to encourage them to consider the causes and consequences of a road traffic collision.
“We are delighted by the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the schools and colleges who have taken part in SDSA and it is nice to be able to show some recognition for that support by awarding these prizes and certificates
“We hope this programme will go from strength to strength and help to ensure that more and more young people stay safe on our roads.”
The winning schools are:
- Gosford Hill School
- 3pm on Wednesday 24th February
- Gosford Hill School 6th form, Oxford Rd, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 2NT
- The Marlborough School
- 1pm on Thursday 25th February
- The Marlborough School 6th form, Shipton Road, Woodstock, Oxon, OX20 1LP.
- The Cherwell School
- 8.40am on Friday 4th March
- The Cherwell School 6th form, Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, OX2 7EE
Ben Whittaker, Acting Head of 6th Form at Gosford Hill School said, "We would like to thank all those involved in Safe Drive Stay Alive for the event itself. I attended with our year 13 students last year; it was such a powerful and moving presentation, with a message which I wish all drivers could hear".
Notes to newsdesk
- Media are invited to the presentations for photos and interviews with 6th form students and teachers who attended SDSA last year (details of dates and times above).
- Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue Service work in partnership with Thames Valley Police, Ambulance Service, Oxfordshire Hospital trust and neighbouring Local Authorities to bring the Safe Drive Stay Alive message to young people. It is an innovative theatre education project, exploring the circumstances and consequences of a road traffic. Aimed at 16 to 19 year olds in the Thames Valley, a film of a crash in the local area has been specially prepared, with roads and hospitals familiar to local students. Parents who have lost a child in a collision talk to the audience about what the loss is like and how family and friends have been affected . Survivors also tell their story, what happened, how their life has changed, what they would do differently and why they hope the audience will learn from their mistake.
- 2015 was the 10th anniversary of Safe Drive Stay Alive (SDSA) across the Thames Valley. During that period over 130,000 16 – 19 year olds have attended the presentations. To celebrate the 10th anniversary SDSA, certificates have been issued to all schools who have ensured their students benefit from this unique road safety experience. Also, the 15 schools and colleges who've supported the programme, every year since it started were entered into a free prize draw to win one of 10 Police Microsoft computer tablets.
All 3 of the Oxfordshire schools who have sent students to SDSA every year were lucky enough to have their name drawn out of the hat.