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Tears as shock tactics drive safety campaign
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| SAFETY ADVICE: Jan Woodward launches the safety drive. |
STUDENTS were reduced to
tears yesterday when a grieving
mother told of her heartache at
losing her only daughter through
the actions of a drunk driver.
Both male and female students
openly wept when Jan Woodward
joined Cleveland Fire Brigade at
its Learn and Live road safety
roadshow yesterday.
Mrs Woodward, from Billingham,
near Stockton, was one of a
number of people to address the
packed auditorium at Hartlepool
College of Further Education,
where her daughter, Kelly, had attended.
Kelly, 19, was a passenger in a
car driven by Andrew Burrell
when he crashed into a tree in
Marsh House Avenue, Billingham,
in July 2006.
Burrell, of Dorset Street,
Hartlepool, who had been driving
for only two months, was twice
the legal drink-drive limit. He
later pleaded guilty to causing
death by dangerous driving and
drink-driving.
Another parent, George Atkinson,
as well as paramedics and
fire officers, played a part in yesterday's
shocking and emotive
presentation, which saw a number
of teenage girls walk out in
floods of tears.
Steve Brodie, the brigade's road
traffic collision reduction co-ordinator,
organised the three
roadshows for the 600 students.
The main messages throughout
the hour-long show were for
young drivers to kill their speed,
wear seatbelts, and not to drink
or take drugs before driving.
"It always has this impact on
students, which is a desired impact
because we want people to
really take notice of what we are
saying," said Mr Brodie.
"We would rather meet people
now and see them shedding a few tears in this surrounding, rather
than meet them at the side of the
road after an accident.
"We believe shock tactics work.
We would love this roadshow to
be compulsory in all schools, but
we take it to colleges and we have
another version for year 11s.
"If just one person leaves the
auditorium having decided they will never speed, always wear a
seatbelt and never drink and
drive, then we have done our job."
Mr Atkinson, a volunteer for
the Brake road safety campaign,
told the emotional story of a 16-
year-old girl who was knocked
over and killed while on her way
to ballet class after a speeding
motorist mounted the pavement where she was walking.
However, students broke down
towards the end of his presentation
after he revealed that the
young victim was, in fact, his
daughter, Livia.
As a result of her death, he said
the family had been left in constant
grief and her mother Giulietta,
as well as the convicted driver,
were suffering from posttraumatic
stress disorder.
He said he had attended many
roadshows, but Cleveland's was
far and away the best.
"What happens never goes
away, but you learn to live with
it," said Mr Atkinson, from London.
"We have got to get more
road safety resources into education
so people can learn.
"We have to get young people's
attention, but then they have to
retain the information. It can
save lives."
10:31am Thursday 20th March 2008
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