Driving home road safety message

A programme aimed at showing young people the consequences of dangerous driving is being delivered in schools across the area.

The initiative, led by Durham Constabulary and supported by a range of emergency service partners, gives students aged 15 to 18 a first-hand look at the effects of serious road traffic collisions.

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has provided £1,000 towards the scheme, which began at Teesdale School and Sixth Form, Barnard Castle, earlier this year.

Further sessions are due to take place at Barnard Castle School and Staindrop Academy later this summer.

The events are aimed at students who are approaching driving age or have recently started driving.

Lasting up to three hours, the sessions include demonstrations and presentations highlighting the risks of speeding, drink and drug driving, and other dangerous behaviour behind the wheel.

Ms Allen’s funding has paid for a scrap vehicle used in demonstrations and transport for pupils attending the events.

The programme forms part of wider work involving Durham Constabulary and partner organisations to tackle issues affecting communities across County Durham and Darlington.

Each activity day can accommodate up to 90 students. The scheme was developed to address what organisers say is a lack of practical road safety education for young drivers.

They hope the programme will help reduce the number of collisions involving young motorists.

In the past three years, 12 young people have died on the region’s roads.

National figures show that drivers aged 17 to 24 hold only six per cent of licences but are involved in almost a quarter of fatal and serious collisions.

Similar events held in 2023 and 2025 were well attended and there are plans to expand the programme in future.

During the sessions, police officers explain road traffic offences and the penalties for breaking the law.

Staff from the North East Ambulance Service discuss the injuries commonly seen in collisions, including those involving people who were not wearing seatbelts.

Road policing officers also talk about their experiences attending serious crashes and demonstrate some of the equipment used to detect drink and drug drivers.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service carries out a live casualty extraction from a vehicle, while a rally driver explains the training, preparation and safety measures involved in competitive motorsport.

Ms Allen said: “Road safety is serious. Every day, young lives are lost through inexperience and risk-taking.

“Drivers aged 17 to 24 account for six per cent of licence holders, yet they are involved in 24 per cent of fatal and serious collisions.

“Most collisions are preventable and these workshops examine why. I hope the sessions encourage young drivers to make safer choices on the roads.”

Road safety remains one of the commissioner’s priorities, with concerns about drink and drug driving regularly raised by residents.

Ms Allen has also backed calls for Graduated Driver Licensing, a system under which newly qualified drivers gain experience gradually under additional restrictions.

Similar schemes operating elsewhere have been linked to reductions in collisions involving young drivers.