Bishop Heber High students learn road dangers in hard-hitting 2Young2Die campaign

Feb 11 2010 by Mark Dowling, Chester Chronicle

PUPILS of a Malpas school have learned about a hard-hitting campaign to reduce the number of road deaths.

Cheshire Police officer Karl Williamson held a workshop for students at Bishop Heber High School to explain the 2Young2Die initiative.

The school liaison was trained by the Brake and FedEx Road Safety Academy to deliver the message, a community education project that trains volunteers to spread road safety education.

He said: “Between 2001 and 2006, 423 young lads were either killed or seriously injured on the roads of Cheshire.

“By delivering the 2Young2Die message, and raising awareness within schools and youth groups, I can play my part in trying to reduce the number of young drivers, passengers or motorcycle riders being injured or killed on the roads of Cheshire.”

The campaign uses DVDs and websites to get across messages on issues such as speed, alcohol and drugs, distractions and the consequences of crashes to young drivers and passengers.

Road crashes are the biggest killer of 15- to 24-year-olds.

One in eight car licence holders are aged under 25, yet one in three drivers who die on UK roads are under that age, often driving too fast, drunk, drugged and without using seat belts. Young drivers are not only in danger of killing themselves, but often their young passengers and other road users such as children on foot.

Almost one in three convictions for causing death or bodily harm by driving are against under-21s, nearly all of them male.

For more information about the 2Young2Die campaign, visit Brake’s interactive website at www.2young2die.org.uk.