Fire crews from Baldock have been targeting young drivers as part of National Road Safety Week.
Road accidents remain one of the biggest single killers of young people in the UK. In Hertfordshire in 2011, 79 young people aged 17 to 25 were killed or seriously injured in road accidents. This age group accounts for 30.7 per cent of all car users killed or seriously injured in the county.
School visits and public events by firefighters are hoped to influence young people’s driving habits and consequently reduce the number of young drivers involved in collisions.
Baldock firefighters are carrying out a road traffic collision demonstration at Tesco in Baldock tomorrow (Friday). Watch commander of Baldock and Letchworth White Watch, Andy Springett, said: “I urge all drivers to drive within their abilities and to the prevailing road conditions. It is not cool to speed or show off to your friends.
“Not only is it against the law to use your mobile whilst driving, it is also particularly dangerous as it takes your attention away from the road. A split second is all it takes to cause a collision which can alter the lives of so many for so long.”
Roy Wilsher, Hertfordshire’s chief fire officer and director of community protection, added: “Many more people are killed and injured on our roads than they are in fires.
“Working with our partners, we will deliver a powerful, focused and sustained message throughout the county to try and make a real impact on reducing the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on our roads each year.”
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