South Yorkshire road safety scheme wins national award

The ‘Drive for Life’ project, run by the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, received a bronze award at this year’s First Car young driver road safety awards.

In an event hosted by First Car Publishing, the project received the bronze award in the ‘partnership scheme’ category.

The Drive for Life presentation has been delivered to 6,000 young drivers, students and apprentices in this academic year alone.

The two-hour presentation is aimed at young people aged 17 to 24 before they gain a driving licence or shortly after they passed their test.

The sessions are geared towards making young people aware of their responsibilities as drivers as well as raising awareness of issues that contribute to collisions.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, South Yorkshire Police and road safety officers from county’s four local authorities have a say in the presentation.

It also contains first hand accounts from parents, relatives or friends who have been affected by the death or serious injury to someone close to them in a collision.

Issues including drink and drug driving, speed, peer pressure and seat belt usage are also discussed.

Project Manager John Scruby said: “To receive a nationally recognised award is testament to the efforts of all those involved in our attempts to reduce the number of casualties throughout South Yorkshire within the young driver category.

“It was an achievement in itself to be shortlisted, given the high standard of entries from other schemes, and so to win this award gives us all a great sense of pride in our work.”