Education campaign goes to heart of British business
An education campaign designed to save the lives of young drivers is taking its message to the heart of British business...
Rt Hon Jack Straw MP for Blackburn, Secretary of State for Justice, discusses the importance of educating young drivers and their parents with Ann and Terry Hannon, parents of Matthew Hannon, who died in a horrific car crash in 2006 when racing his best friend
A major conference held by Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety saw it reveal a new young driver education programme, which has already won national recognition from politicians and business leaders and prompted action in several firms.
More than 150 people attended the Blackburn conference, designed to highlight the horrific death toll among young drivers each year. Young drivers aged 17-24 make up just 16% of drivers on the roads in Britain, yet they are involved in 52% of all road deaths.
Delegates at the conference were guided through the new ‘Wasted Lives Young Driver Education Programme’ and shown a new film produced by the Partnership, called Missing Matthew, which tells the true story of the Hannon family who lost their son Matthew (22) when he died in a car crash while racing a friend.
Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Justice speaking at the end of the event, pledged to talk further to Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Transport and the Prime Minister.
He stated that, following the conference, he would personally chair a cabinet committee on the issue and referred to three avenues that need to be tackled for success: Changes to the law to place restrictions on new drivers; a change in the risk-taking culture of young people through education; and a greater responsibility taken by the motor insurance industry to change incentives.
The importance of education to bring about cultural change was echoed by many delegates including senior representatives from RoadSafe, the RAC Foundation, Lancashire Police and Lancashire County Council.
Following the event, held in association with the Lancashire Telegraph, the safety message is being taken to young drivers throughout the country, including new employees who might drive for work and whose age puts them in the danger category.
Linda Sanderson, communications manager for Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said: “We all have a social responsibility to keep our young drivers safe and we all have a part to play in tackling the issue.
“The response since the conference has been incredible and we have been inundated with calls from across the country requesting copies of the Missing Matthew DVD.
“Already, large companies such as Spring Fields Fuels, formerly BNFL, and British Aerospace have approached us to deliver our free ‘Wasted Lives: Young Driver Education Programme’ to young apprentices.
“Industry taking action like this is fantastic, and there are other organisations like Training 2000 that are helping us open more doors into the workplace.
“We have developed a very powerful resource, now it is crucial that everyone who has contact with new or soon-to-be drivers know about it so they can play their part.”
For further details about the programme, email: safe2travel@env.lancscc.gov.uk or call the project team on 01772 534531. Visit www.safe2travel.co.uk for further information on Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety