Organisers hope dramatic safe driving event will save lives - The Rugby Observer

Organisers hope dramatic safe driving event will save lives

Rugby Editorial 15th Dec, 2017   0

HUNDREDS of school students were introduced to a new form of road safety education thanks to a Rugby campaigner whose 16-year-old daughter was tragically killed while walking to her ballet class.

The Safe Drive Stay Alive (SDSA) event was held at the Macready Theatre before an audience of 200 Year 12 Rugby School students.

The professional stage show, which balances educational content with real life drama, was brought to Rugby by George Atkinson – who has campaigned for better road safety education for young people since a driver mounted the pavement and ran over his daughter Livia in 1998.

Livia Galli-Atkinson, 16, was tragically killed when a driver mounted the pavement and ran her over in 1998. (s)

The fast-moving SDSA show used factual testimonies from officers in the emergency services about their experiences in dealing with the aftermath of serious road collisions, from survivors of collisions and from those who have been bereaved.




Lisa Greatwood, Head of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education at Rugby School, said: “The presentation was incredibly moving, professional and memorable. It had a visible impact on the students and what was said will, I hope, stay with them for a long time and will save lives.

“Hopefully the powerful testimonies will help them to make sensible choices around driving in the future.”


And David Levy – the now retired former Head of Old Bailey Homicide Trials Unit, said: “What an impressive and compelling event. It held the audience’s attention throughout. It was provocative and it couldn’t be bettered at delivering its message.”

George Atkinson added: “One young driver in six taking to the road will become involved in a road collision in their first two years of driving. For some, it will involve life changing injuries. For others, it will prove fatal.

“Although young drivers make up only seven per cent of the total driving population in England and Wales, they are involved in 20 per cent of all fatal and serious injury collisions on our roads. We really must warn them of this vulnerability.”

He thanked Mark Pawsey MP, Warwickshire Police Chief Constable Martin Jelly, and County Councillor Yousef Dahmash for their support and funding.

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