Statistics show that young men are three times more likely to die behind the wheel of a car than women. However, more females die in crashes than males, possibly because young women are often passengers when such incidents occur.

Councillor Bryan Lodge, Cabinet Member for Transport and Streetscene at Sheffield City Council said: “Research has found that male drivers are less concerned about killing themselves when considering the risks of driving. However, the same research showed that these male drivers were motivated to take care by the thought of killing a friend or girlfriend.”

For My Girlfriend is a nationally recognised campaign targeting young drivers, particularly male drivers. The message, set to coincide with Valentine’s Day, is simple: drive responsibly, otherwise you could kill someone.

In Sheffield, a dramatic reconstruction will take place at Hallam Square /Howard St on Valentine’s Day (14th February) at 1pm, when firefighters from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue will cut ‘casualties’ out of a crashed vehicle.

Watch Manager Mark Scott from Prevention & Protection at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said: “The 17 to 24 year age group is the most at risk of being involved in a road traffic collision.  Joint initiatives like this event are essential in raising the awareness of road safety amongst young drivers."

Young drivers aged 17-24 are over represented in the casualty figures. Nationally, this age group holds 7% of licenses but in Sheffield represent 33% of driver fatalities. There are numerous reasons that come together to make a significantly higher chance of a crash. These include inexperience, over confidence, distraction caused by passengers and inappropriate speed.

For more information about the campaign, go to www.fmg.org.uk or to find out more about road safety in Sheffield visit www.sheffield.gov.uk/roadsafety
 
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Photo Opportunity:
Date: Thursday 14th February
Time: 1pm
Location: Howard Street/ Hallam Square, S1
Details: The reconstruction will illustrate what can happen after a crash. A crashed car is brought to the location where actors play the casualties complete with special effects injuries. An expert in crash rescue commentates on the scene and the audience is able to witness the medical and fire staff taking control of the “incident” and cutting off the roof of the vehicle to rescue the occupants.

For further information please contact Natalie Johnson, Media Team, on 07764 659 184 or (0114) 273 6631. Email Natalie.Johnson@sheffield.gov.uk
For out of hours media enquiries please ring 07711 153995. For further Media Team contact details see http://sccplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/press/news/contacts.htm