[14 February 2007]

Car Crash Rescue in Hastings Town Centre.

Young males told to be safe this Valentine´s Day.

The public in Hastings town centre will be able to see a team of firefighters from The Ridge fire station cut a member of the public out of a car on Tuesday [13 February] at 2.15pm outside Debenhams.

The demonstration is part of the "For my girlfriend" campaign, a road safety initiative supported by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) and funded by the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership (SSCP). The campaign which has been launched in time for Valentine´s Day, aims to target male drivers aged 17-19 years, and encourages young people to drive carefully when they are out as a couple.

Government statistics for 2005 show that 276 female drivers aged 17-19 years were killed or seriously injured while driving, while 373 suffered the same fate as passengers. By contrast, 869 male drivers of the same age were killed or seriously injured, compared to 602 as passengers.

Shocking statistics show that ESFRS is now called to more road traffic collisions (RTCs) than fires. The live extrication (the term used when firefighters rescue victims from vehicles) the firefighters will demonstrate in Hastings town centre will highlight the gruelling task they must perform when they attend a RTC.

The "For my girlfriend" campaign reminds young drivers and their passengers of the potentially terrible consequences of driving too fast. In 2005, 106 people died as a result of road accidents in Sussex. A road user was killed every 3.5 days, a motorcyclist every 16.5 days and a pedestrian was killed or injured every 10 hours.

Within East Sussex the road incidents attended have risen from 554 in 1996, to 737 in 2004. Research has shown that human error is a contributory factor in approximately 95% of road collisions.

Mark Webb, Station Manager at both The Ridge and Bohemia Road fire stations, ESFRS, said: “We deal with the aftermath of road collisions and the impact they have on human lives everyday. "For my girlfriend" is an extremely important campaign. It is vital young drivers choose safe driving habits from the start.”

Mark Webb continues: “The shocking statistics of deaths from road collisions in Sussex last year clearly show how important the message of "For my girlfriend" is. An 18-year-old driver is more than three times as likely to be involved in a crash as a 48 year old.”

Emma Rogers, Communications Manager, Sussex Safety Camera Partnership, said: “The "For my girlfriend" campaign is in its third year in Sussex and is proving to be an excellent tool in raising awareness among young drivers of the dangers they face on Sussex roads.”

“We hope that by organising this demonstration in the heart of Hastings, many young drivers will take the opportunity to come and visit us, and help to prevent themselves becoming another statistic.”

Young people in Hastings are invited to watch the live extrication in the town centre. Firefighters and SSCP staff will be on-hand to talk to the public, and offer additional advice and support about road safety.

[The Priory Partnership]