Date: 5th December, 2016
Around 5,000 military personnel based in Wiltshire will see the Safe Drive Stay Alive presentation next week.
Safe Drive Stay Alive is a Wiltshire and Swindon road safety initiative coordinated by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service on behalf of a partnership including Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, Arval Ltd, Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Severn Major Trauma Network.
The presentation combines powerful personal testimony and dramatic video footage to make the audience aware of the tragedy and suffering caused by road traffic collisions. Firefighters, medics, police officers, bereaved parents and people who have been directly involved in crashes recount their stories, often in heartbreaking detail.
Between 12 and 15 December, soldiers from units based around Salisbury Plain will attend the shows, all of which will be held at the garrison theatre in Tidworth. Before each of the presentations, Wiltshire Police will give a ten minute talk on the specific risks of drinking and driving.
Ian Hopkins, road safety manager at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Young soldiers coming back to Britain after a tour of duty abroad are at serious risk of being involved in a road traffic collision. Just here in Wiltshire, we have seen far too many people from the military community being injured or killed on our roads. By taking the Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow to the garrison, we are able to make this high risk group more aware of the dangers they face.”
He added: “We will also have Wiltshire Police focusing on the issues of drink driving, which is particularly timely as the festive season is approaching. The Safe Drive presentations have been extremely well received when we have worked with the Army before, and hopefully our message will hit home.”
This year’s Safe Drive programme for schools has been seen by thousands of Year 11 students across both Wiltshire and Swindon since September.
For further information, visit www.facebook.com/SDSA.Wilts