Road safety workshop arrives at Friends'

Autoline Insurance Group, in association with the road safety charity ‘Brake’, is using modern technology in the form of a state-of-the-art car crash simulator to drive the safety message home.

The specially equipped Ford Focus ST is a key part of the ‘Respect The Road’ campaign and has been adapted to include in-car screens, speakers, smoke machines and bespoke hydraulics. The vehicle is used to recreate a real life fatal crash incident that led to a 17-year old driver being sentenced to prison.

Mr Robert McKinley, Head of Sixth Form in Friend’s School, Lisburn said: “The ‘Respect The Road’ workshop was thought-provoking and feedback from our pupils was overwhelmingly positive. For those who are learning to drive or recently passed their test it is an eye-opening reminder of the dangers drivers their age most frequently face on our roads.”

The initiative explores issues often linked to young drivers such as inexperience on rural roads, distractions from mobile phones and other devices, alcohol and drugs, as well as the irreversible consequences of speeding and careless driving.

As well as the crash simulator, the programme delivers an informative workshop, presented by Autoline and Tracey Doherty, a former PSNI Traffic Branch Officer of over 30 years’ experience.

During the workshop Tracey told the students about her previous role where she was responsible for telling parents that their child had died in a traffic accident.