25th March 2008
‘Operation Carmageddon’ comes to Dartford
In the last three years over 500 young people (aged between 17 and 24) have been killed or seriously injured on Kent’s roads. Statistics also show that as well as being at risk themselves young drivers pose a significant risk to others.
To help tackle this problem, Kent Fire and Rescue Service is staging a live demonstration depicting a serious car crash involving young victims at Prospect Place car park in Dartford town centre on Friday 28 March between 9pm and 10.30pm.
As part of the multi-agency road safety campaign ‘Operation Carmageddon’, the evening aims to educate young people on the potentially horrific consequences of being involved in a serious road traffic collision and to encourage young drivers and passengers to be responsible for their own and others’ safety while driving.
Dartford fire station’s white watch manager Craig Lloyd-Cowtan said: “Each time our crews attend the scene of fatal road traffic collision involving a young person, we are sickened by the tragic waste of young life.
The evening is intended to challenge young peoples’ attitudes about safe driving and encourage them to question how they can keep safe when travelling in a car, either as a driver or as a passenger. Making them really think about the potential consequences of driving without care and attention will hopefully help prevent further loss of life on Kent’s roads.”
Research shows that peer pressure can encourage bad driving and result in drivers ‘showing off’ to their passengers. The mere presence of young passengers, together with the distraction of conversation can divert inexperienced drivers who should be paying close attention to the road.
Young drivers are more likely to seek thrills from driving fast and cornering at high speed than older drivers, and may be reluctant to drive under the speed limit for fear of ‘losing face’ in front of friends. However with less experience at identifying potential hazards and assessing risk, new drivers, especially males, are more likely to be involved in high-speed crashes, single vehicle crashes involving losing control, crashes in the dark and when overtaking and negotiating bends.
KFRS Education Manager Alexa Kersting-Woods said: “Our experience tells us that young people rarely attend safety events such as open days so this campaign aims to take road safety education right to the places where they are already gathered, for example car parks, schools and night-spots. There are a number of different locations where young people meet in the Dartford area and this event is designed to help them stay safe on the roads.”
Note to editors
• Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) now attends 25 per cent more road crashes than house fires
• One in three young male drivers will write off their car in their first year of driving
• A quarter of the convictions for causing death by dangerous driving are for drivers under 20 years old
• The biggest killer of teenage girls is teenage boys driving.
Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend the event takes place on the evening of Friday 28 March at Prospect Place car park in Dartford (DA1 1DY). The live demonstration will start at 9pm and the event will conclude at 10.30pm
Interviews will be available on request.
Please contact the Press Office to confirm your attendance on (01622) 692121.
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