A DVD which will be shown to more than 3,000 Norfolk students is said to have had a ‘profound impact’ on those that have seen it.
In the film, a young, carefree lad takes his girlfriend for a spin. They bounce along to the music, pumping up the volume and the speed. Within seconds the boy swerves to miss a lorry, careers off the road and kills both of them instantly by crashing into a tree. The clip ends with a shot of the boy's ghostly apparition hovering above the cemetery and the question: “Will you put one of your mates here?”
The film aims to make young people consider the road risks that are a real danger to inexperienced drivers eager to impress their friends. It also reminds passengers that they entrust their lives to drivers, and that a seatbelt can prove the difference between life and death.
After the shock tactics bereaved parents Keith and Janet Britton speak candidly about the night they were told their daughter was killed in a crash.
Iain Temperton, county road safety manager, said: “The feedback we are getting is that some youngsters do get upset and are talking about it afterwards.
“I think if you have a police or fire officer or someone from the ambulance service then you have that respect. It makes them sit up and notice if you have someone who can tell them: 'I had to cut someone out of a car last week'.
“We also have to be realistic - a certain percentage of young people are going to be taking drugs but all we can say is: 'use a bit of common sense, we know your lifestyle don't do it when you're driving'. I think young people appreciate that, and that's exactly the way we want to approach this.”
The DVD presentation can be adapted for other road safety teams to use. For more information contact Iain Temperton on 07748 933955.
