Crowthorne and Sandhurst

A mock car accident will be staged at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst in time for Valentine’s Day to show young people that thoughtless driving can cost lives.

A young couple will be cut from the Sandhurst car crash to highlight that more women die as passengers than drivers in car crashes, for this year’s For My Girlfriend campaign.

The mock accident involves the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service who will use special cutting equipment to show how a person in a road accident is cut from a vehicle.

Young people who attend the crash will be given a Valentine’s card which looks authentic on the outside, but inside there is an image of a crashed car and the words ‘I’m sorry - I didn’t mean to kill you. I was driving too fast’.

Government statistics for 2005 show 276 women aged 17-to-19-years were killed or seriously injured while driving, compared to 373 who were passengers.

By contrast 869 male drivers of the same age were killed or seriously injured, compared to 602 passengers.

In Bracknell Forest, drivers aged 17 to 24 accounted for 90 casualties - including two fatailities and 15 serious injuries - on the borough's roads between December 1, 2005, and November 20, 2006.

Meanwhile, young people have the chance to gain their first experience behind the wheel of a car at the Council’s Motorwise course.

The day is open to young people aged 16 and over and is designed to encourage safe driving, by increasing awareness of hazards, understanding of motoring laws and the possible impacts if you are involved in an accident.

The next session will be at Sandhurst Sports Centre in Owlsmoor Road on Tuesday, April 3, from 9.30am to 4.30pm. There will also be sessions in Bracknell and Crowthorne later in the year.

Cllr Mrs Mary Ballin, Executive Member for Sandhurst Planning and the Environment, said: "For My Girlfriend is a hard-hitting campaign designed to prove to young people the real dangers of dangerous driving.

"There are dangerous drivers of every age, but this annual Valentine's Day campaign is targeted particularly at young drivers. Together with Motorwise, it reflects the importance the Council places on making sure our roads are safe for everyone.”

To book a place on Motorwise, please call Chris Pickett, Road Safety Officer, on 01344 351212. Places are limited so book early.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ Sandhurst