More than 300 students will watch a car crash “victim” released from the wreckage of a vehicle by firefighters at a road safety education event in Newport on Thursday.
The stark demonstration in front of students aged 18 to 25 will be staged at Harper Adams University at 6.45pm by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Shrewsbury car dealership Rybrook MINI has donated an old Saab car which will have its windows and roof carefully removed by firefighters using specialist cutting equipment during the road safety display.
“The car was a part exchange vehicle and we are more than happy to put it to good use to highlight the importance of road safety,” said Ian Lockett, Head of Business at Rybrook MINI.
Martin Richardson, Crew Manager at Newport Fire Station, will make a live commentary to the watching students as a team of eight firefighters carry out the extrication to simulate what happens in a real road traffic collision.
“I will explain what is happening during the extrication and go through the causes of how people get into that situation and how to prevent it happening,” said Mr Richardson, who has held the demo at Harper Adams for a number of years.
He said that excess speed, the misuse of alcohol and drugs, peer pressure, mobile phones and poor car maintenance, were the main reasons behind the high number of road crashes among men in the 17 to 29 age group.
“We want to bring it home to them that a number of road traffic collisions we attend, involve that age group. A car can be a very dangerous machine when handled irresponsibly,” added Mr Richardson.
The university’s Joana Da Silva said: This is a very successful and well attended event which helps the university in raising awareness regarding factors contributing to dangerous driving and other associated risks, particularly due to our rural location.”
She said they were grateful to Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and Rybrook MINI for donating their time and resources for the demo in Freshers Week.
