Safe Drive, Stay Alive

Hard-hitting road safety campaign

On Surrey's roads alone, 4730 young drivers have been involved in injury collisions in the last three years - 29 have died and eight of their passengers have been killed (Surrey County Council May 2008).

The annual Safe Drive, Stay Alive campaign targets this 'at risk' age group just as they are about to begin driving, to make them aware of their responsibilities on the road and encourage them to think of the consequences of driving irresponsibly.

Spearheaded by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, and supported by Surrey Police, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Surrey County Council, the Royal Surrey Hospital and RoadPeace, this free, award winning road safety initiative has been heralded by former Formula One World Champion, Damon Hill, as "literally a life saver". In 2006, the initiative won a prestigious HRH Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award.

Safe Drive, Stay Alive is a hard-hitting interactive show, staged annually at Dorking Halls in Dorking, which tells the story of a road traffic collision. A reconstruction video is interspersed with on-stage, real life testimonies by serving members of the emergency services. Also, and perhaps most poignantly, stories are told by the parent of a young person who lost their life in a road traffic collision and also from a person disabled by the actions of a young driver.

A record 10,000 16 to 18-year-old students from Surrey schools and colleges, including Collingwood College and Tomlinscote School in Surrey Heath, signed up for the daily shows during November 2007. Additionally, more than 300 people of all ages attended the public performance on November 8. Show sponsors, ExxonMobil, Air Products, esure, the Surrey Safety Camera Partnership and Mercedes-Benz World, have funded associated costs for the campaign. Former Formula One World Champion, Damon Hill, Mole Valley District Council and Mole Valley Youth Voice have also supported the initiative.

John O'Brien, Head of Prevention for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, commented: "We know from feedback that the very real and very graphic accounts heard by people who attend the shows succeed in challenging their attitudes and behaviours towards driving at what can be a very impressionable age. The emergency services personnel and victims of road traffic collisions involved work hard to put on a professional show that will make Surrey's drivers safer drivers, and they really appreciate the public's support."

2008 show dates

Two performances daily at 10.30am and 12.30pm are provisionally scheduled on the following dates: 4, 5, 6, 7, 17, 18, 19 (afternoon only), and 20 November 2008. An additional performance will take place on the evening of 6 November 2008. Booking for the shows will commence in June 2008.

More information about Safe Drive, Stay Alive is available at www.surrey-fire.gov.uk/safedrive Opens in a new window