Published yesterday:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4732152.stm
'Crash magnet' message for teens
A new road safety campaign is to target teenage drivers in an effort to reduce casualties on Scottish roads.
The classroom resource, Crash Magnets, which was piloted in 20 secondary schools, aims to reduce "risky behaviour" which can cause accidents.
Five films delve into the role of the emergency services and the harrowing aftermath of a serious crash.
The term "crash magnets" was coined to describe drivers most likely to be involved in a car crash.
This could include teenagers with their own car, friends with cars or access to a parent's car.
Stayed safe
Transport Minister Tavish Scott said two young people were killed or injured in road accidents each day in Scotland.
Launching the roll-out of the resource at Anderson High School in Shetland on Monday, he said road safety education had a vital role to play in ensuring that young people stayed safe on roads.
He said: "The message I want our young people to get is - passing the driving test gives you the right to drive, but with that right there are many responsibilities."
Chief constable John Vine welcomed the Scottish Executive's road safety programme.
"Police forces throughout Scotland are fully aware of the factors that lead to drivers being identified as 'crash magnets'," he said,
"And they are striving to reduce road casualties that result from drivers whose risky behaviour makes them more likely to cause accidents."
The DVD resource also includes case studies and role play scenarios to encourage pupils to think about issues such as speeding, drink driving, drug driving and in-car safety.
Road Safety Manager Elizabeth Lumsden said Crash Magnets would get the safety message across to teenagers in a way that captured their interest.
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Interesting to compare with Safe Speed PR247, issued October 2005:
PR247: Young driver attitudes are key to night time crashes
news: for immediate release
Newly published research by the AA Motoring Trust highlights and re-affirms
the well known dangers affecting some young male drivers.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(
www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "The report clearly shows that the problems are
mostly attitudinal. What the report lacks are intelligent solutions to the
problem. We have noted that young male drivers have a poor appreciation of
their responsibilities when driving. It's commonly this lack of understanding
of the nature and degree of responsibility that underlies the observable
crashes with 'dangerous attitude' as a root cause."
"Safe Speed recommends road safety classes in schools for ages 14+. The main
purpose of these classes would be to explain the nature and the scope of the
responsibility of driving on the public highway. It's only after we (as a
society) have taken the trouble to explain the responsibilities that we should
blame young drivers for not understanding them."
Safe Speed is confident that the following paragraph is the key to
improvements: The AA report quotes a New Zealand press release: "We must spend
more time and energy as parents and as a society teaching our young people to
take driving seriously and making sure they are properly licensed before
letting them behind the wheel. We must teach them to respect the dangers of
speed and alcohol, and to accept responsibility for their own safety and the
safety of their friends, family and other road users". (P56)
<ends>
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Did we set something off? Or was it just 'great minds'?
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