Safe Drive Stay Alive event cancelled by organisers

Uncertainty around Covid-19 restrictions has meant organisers have agreed to cancel the 2021 Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow.

They will also take the opportunity to re-evaluate how the road safety message for young drivers is delivered in the future.

Safe Drive Stay Alive is a multi-agency partnership comprising Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Moray councils, NHS Grampian, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Since 2005, the hugely successful roadshow has been open to all schools in the areas and featured representatives from the emergency services, road accident survivors and those who have lost family members sharing their experiences.

Now, 16 years on from the first show and having learned so much from the positive effects it has had over the years, organisers are now looking at how best to deliver a programme addressing education and advice to young people in preparation for becoming drivers.

Aberdeenshire Council's head of transportation Ewan Wallace said: “There is absolutely no doubt just how successful Safe Drive Stay Alive has been since its launch back in 2005.

“We know its hard-hitting approach made a deep impression on those teenagers who were about to start taking lessons and getting behind the wheel.

"Over the years, thanks to a range of road safety programmes including Safe Drive, we have thankfully seen the number of collisions and casualties involving young drivers decrease significantly.

“Of course, we cannot be complacent, but we feel now is the right time to target our finite resources more effectively and deliver key road safety messages through other formats which meet the current needs of today’s modern society.

"This evolution of our education programme with our emergency service partners will ensure that road safety for young people remains fresh and as important to generations of future young drivers.”

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