YOUNG people from Clevedon were treated with a special real-world educational event from emergency responders last month. 

Police, fire and ambulance crews staged a car crash scenario for sixth-formers at Clevedon School where they witnessed first-hand the consequences of dangerous driving. 

The Drink and Drug Drive Awareness Day involved an enactment, with students following a dramatisation of friends who had socialised, drank alcohol and weighed up the risks of driving. 

With their judgement impaired by alcohol, they ultimately made the wrong choice. Students witnessed the aftermath of that decision as emergency services were called to attend a staged road traffic collision where a car crashed and a passenger was trapped.

Head of sixth form, Katie Whiting, said: “This was one of the most powerful re-enactments that any student could witness.

"It sent an extremely powerful message to our students and forms part of the wider, holistic goals of equipping our students for the next phase of their life."

The awareness day was organised by PC Ross Windsor, an officer from Avon and Somerset Police and a former student of Clevedon School, who hopes the work will be rolled out to other schools in the future.

North Somerset Times: SuppliedSupplied (Image: Supplied)

“We are extremely proud that our former student Ross is now a police officer delivering valuable lessons to pupils in schools, including here at Clevedon School where he spent many happy years," Katie added.

Andy Roebuck, forensic collision investigation lead for Avon and Somerset Police, said: “Few people estimate the physical and mental trauma a collision involving a drink or drugged driver can cause.

“From driver or passenger injuries to the stress of an ongoing police investigation, to the reduction in job prospects and guilt of potentially causing a person to live with lifelong injuries or worse, there are so many horrendous consequences that can result from a bad decision.

“We hope that what they see and learn from the awareness day will stay with these young people for life, positively shaping their own decisions around drink and drug driving. 

“There is absolutely no excuse for getting behind the wheel whilst under the influence of drink or drugs.  We, as emergency services, see far too many lives ruined this way.”