Sergeant John Walker of Sussex Police and his colleagues Sgt Keith Beckley, PCSO Jeff Grant and West Sussex Road Safety Officers Gill Starkie and Martin Cooke attended the college on 2nd November 2009

Gill Starkie – WSCC Road Safety said
"Some drivers, especially those between the ages 17 – 25 years, frequently risk the safety of other road users as well as their own, by driving too fast and/or behaving irresponsibly. Some of the young people we engaged with had already received warnings from the police relating to their driving and some had been involved in road traffic collisions.

We brought the Seat Belt Sled with us to the College, the volunteer student sits on the car seat, puts on the seatbelt and is then released from the starting position at approximately 4 mph! Over 90 students had a go! It was interesting to see their reaction, mostly shocked by the impact when they hit the bottom."

One boy said "It’s bad enough at 4mph; imagine the impact at 30mph or even worse - 70mph? – I will always wear a seatbelt!’’ We also gave the students the opportunity to wear the beer goggles; these simulate being drunk and illustrate the effect of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The students were given tasks to complete, but soon realised how difficult it was whilst impaired."

"The aim of this event was to give the students a chance to learn about the consequences of driving dangerously and to provide an opportunity to experience the effect of being in a collision. This shows them the importance of wearing a seatbelt both as a driver and as a passenger. Safety as a driver, passenger and also as a pedestrian – it’s their choice!"

"Every year over 1000 17-25 year olds are killed on the roads in the UK – the equivalent of three Jumbo Jets!! Over three times as many more are left with serious injuries as a result of a road traffic collision. Our aim is to reduce these shocking statistics. Young people influence each other, which means sometimes they worry about looking 'un-cool'. We wanted to show them there are alternatives, anyone can drive fast, but not everyone can drive with skill."

Our relatively high proportion of rural roads equates to Horsham District suffering greater than average road traffic accidents, which is a key priority for the partnership. We are working hard to reduce the number of young people being killed and seriously injured.