Write a commentStudents at Southern Regional College in Newry have taken part in a road safety initiative which includes a car crash simulator, one of only a few in use across Ireland and the UK.
Delivered by local insurance broker Autoline Insurance Group in association with the road safety charity, ‘Brake’, the ‘Respect The Road’ campaign encourages students to think about issues such as speed, alcohol and drugs, distractions and the consequences of crashes.
In addition to using a range of hard-hitting videos, statistics and workshop discussions, the initiative now includes a specially modified Ford Focus. Equipped with hi-tech equipment to simulate a real-life crash incident, the aim is bring home the grim reality of careless driving.
Last year 74 people were killed on Northern Ireland’s roads, of which over 30% were aged under 25. Eight of the fatalities were in the Newry, Mourne & Down Council area.
Commenting on the initiative, Catherine Shipman, Student Activities Coordinator at SRC, said “As a college community we have experienced the tragic loss of our own students on the roads, but it is our hope that through the involvement of the Autoline team at events like our Freshers’ Fair we can raise awareness of the dangers of driving for all our students.
“If we can change the behaviour of even just one of the students who attended today our time will have been well spent. I thank the team at Autoline for their continued help in promoting road safety at Southern Regional College.”
As corporate ambassadors for ‘Brake’ since 2013, Autoline has reached 3,000 pupils with the campaign so far. The sessions are delivered free of charge and are available to schools and youth groups across Northern Ireland.
The car crash simulator uses a high quality sound system, hydraulics, smoke and lights to recreate a true incident which resulted in multiple fatalities and a prison sentence for the 17-year old driver.
Suzanne Curtis from Autoline Insurance Group said “As a local insurance broker we’re passionate about working with the local community to make our roads safer and getting alongside younger drivers to tackle issues relevant to them.
“In the last three and a half years we’ve used the campaign to encourage young people to think about issues such as speed, alcohol, rural roads and drugs, and the irreversible consequences that a car crash has upon victims, family and friends. It is important that students are fully educated and aware of the dangers they potentially face on our roads.
“New regulations being introduced by the Northern Ireland Assembly will restrict the number of passengers that new drivers can carry between 11pm and 6am and an improved training programme for learner drivers will also help.
“The simulator car is part of this wider effort to improve road safety. It is a very sobering and vivid experience, using hi-tech equipment to reinforce the issues we discuss and drive home the message that careless driving ruins lives.”
In addition to the ‘Respect The Road’ campaign Autoline has also developed ‘ChilliDrive’, an innovative product that turns a smart phone into an in-car ‘mentor’. By analysing speed, acceleration, braking and cornering, it enables users to measure their driving skills, and rewards safer drivers with lower premiums.
‘ChilliDrive’ also includes an Accident Reporter function to capture photographic evidence from the scene of an incident. There is also an SOS button linked directly to Autoline’s 24/7 claims service, helping alert emergency services or breakdown/recovery companies with an accurate location of an incident.
For further information about how your school or organisation can participate in the ‘Respect The Road’ programme please contact Suzanne Curtis at Autoline Insurance Group on 028 3025 9178.
