Teenagers from Mid Ulster were the recipients of a hard-hitting road safety message as the award-winning Police Service of Northern Ireland Roadsafe Roadshow returned for another school year.
The roadshow, devised by the Police Service of Northern Ireland Road Policing Unit and supported by AXA Insurance, was performed to nearly 700 sixth formers from Magherafelt, Draperstown , Maghera and Clady on Thursday, 28th September 2023.
Recognising that young people aged 25 and under are one of the age groups most at risk of being killed or seriously injured on our roads each year, the roadshow aims to bring its message to those about to start out on what will, hopefully, be a long and safe motoring career.
The roadshow, which so far has been seen by tens of thousands of teenagers across Northern Ireland, depicts graphically how a night out can end in tragedy and permanent disability.
The story is told by a police officer, a paramedic, a fire officer, an Accident and Emergency consultant, a young man who was jailed following a serious road traffic collision he was involved in, and a young person, who was paralysed following a horrific collision. The narrative is interspersed with music, video clips and television and cinema advertisements.
Sergeant Verner of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Road Policing Education team commented: "The Roadsafe Roadshow has been a major success and it enables us to bring a road safety message to thousands of young people in the highest risk group. We have no doubt that the road show shocks, perhaps even horrifies, our young audiences. We make no apology for that.
"We believe that showing realistically just what happens on our roads has an impact on the students who attend. Our hope is that after seeing the roadshow they realise that they are not indestructible; that they are as vulnerable on the roads as the next person and that they must respect the roads and other users.
"One of the hardest parts of any police officer's job is breaking the news of the death or injury of a loved one to relatives. It is especially heart-breaking when that news is of a young person whose whole life lay ahead. Most traffic collisions could have been avoided and we hope that the road show will help young people realise the consequences of their actions.”
Julieann Martindale, AXA’s branch operations manager, said: “AXA is delighted to continue its sponsorship of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Road Safe Roadshow which is now entering its 20th year.
“The programme will visit up to 10 locations over the coming six months and more than 8000 students are scheduled to attend. The ongoing tragedies that occur on our roads each and every day emphasise the need for programmes like this. Its hard-hitting and emotional content is a great way of amplifying the risks of dangerous and careless driving to this impressionable age group.
“I compliment the Police Service of Northern Ireland and all involved. Personally, I have sat through the roadshow numerous times and its real-life account of a teenage road fatality is incredibly compelling.”
Pictured at the PSNI Roadsafe Roadshow are (from left) Rory Dumigan, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, Stevie Grainger, Axa, John Amos, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Neill McKee, Chief Inspector Graham Dodds, Cool FM DJ Ryan A and Julieann Martindale from AXA.