News From Orkney Islands Council

Local Emergency Services Drive Home Safety Message

A powerful message will be driven home to local teenagers this week as the Safe Drive, Stay Alive event comes to Kirkwall Grammar School.

‘Safe Drive, Stay Alive, is a theatre education project exploring the circumstances and consequences of a road traffic collision.

A pre-prepared film is interspersed with the on-stage interjections of local faces from the emergency services describing from their experiences what attending and dealing with the aftermath of a road traffic collision is really like – from tending to casualties to breaking difficult news to loved ones.

The effect is hard-hitting and the intention is that those attending will take home a lifelong appreciation of the responsibility that comes with driving.

The event has been run annually in Orkney for a number of years now and for the first time an evening showing has been arranged, to which the general public are invited to attend.

Councillor Andrew Drever ,chair of the local Road Safety Forum, said:

“Having local emergency service personnel delivering presentations on their own life experience events gives this pre-driver education programme more impact and a local perspective.   Safe Drive-Stay Alive is delivered through the Road Safety Forum and is kept under review with feedback from school pupils and teachers which has helped us in securing this updated programme.

“This year, I welcome the addition of holding an evening presentation for parents, carers and other interested members of the public so that they too can take part in the wider discussion whilst getting an understanding of the impact on families and friends should their child be involved in a serious or fatal crash.”

The evening event takes place on Tuesday 18 September between 7pm and 8pm at the Orkney Theatre in Kirkwall Grammar School – there is no charge for entry.