Today, (Thursday 29 October), Alloa-based Firefighters showed young people first hand how dangerous our roads can be.  

Thirteen people took part in the event, which was held at Alloa Fire Station and involved a dramatic road traffic collision exercise.
 
Two of the young people involved in the event, Laura Foley and Fraser Munnoch were asked to be the ‘victims' of a road traffic collision in order for them to get first hand experience of the impact of a collision. The event followed what would normally happen in a real-life incident, with the fire appliances arriving on the scene with blue lights flashing and the two ‘victims' trapped in the vehicle. The two ‘victims' then had to be rescued from the car - in some cases this can be very distressing. Firefighters used equipment that would normally be used such as hydraulic cutting tools (pictured here) and demonstrated their skills dealing with casualties with severe trauma.

The young people also learnt about the experiences of Firefighters in attending real life road traffic collisions and the devastating impact that they can have.

The event also included information on road safety such as the dangers of using a mobile phone whilst driving, the importance of seatbelts and the risk of speeding.

Watch Manager George Carson from Green Watch Alloa, who organised the event, said: "Recent tragic events in Clackmannanshire have shown how dangerous cars can be. This event allows our young people to experience the devastating impact of a road traffic collision first hand but in a controlled environment. We don't want to scare anyone, we want to educate them on the small changes they can make in order to ensure their safety whilst driving."

A parent that attended the event, said: "It should be compulsory for all learner drivers to attend this event, George has taught us things tonight that will never be covered in any driving test. I have been driving for years and it was a real eye opener for me!".

ENDS