Yorkshire demonstration highlights importance of road safety

Date: 27/6/2011

The danger of drink-driving was illustrated in a dramatic fashion on Friday (June 24th) at an event in the north-east.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the road safety partnership 95 Alive York and North Yorkshire helped to demonstrate the force of a vehicle collision when travelling at speed by suspending a car from a crane and then dropping it from a height of 30 feet.

According to the Yorkshire Post, the motor smashed on to the concrete below in a way that illustrated not only the damage caused by such a crash, but also how difficult it is to remove victims from the wreck.

Councillor John Fort, Chairman of North Yorkshire County Council, said: "We hope that the demonstration will make people think about what the consequences of getting behind the wheel when under the influence of alcohol and send a clear message that drink-driving on the roads of North Yorkshire is unacceptable."

North Yorkshire's Chief Fire Officer Nigel Hutchinson added that anyone considering consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel should be aware of the "grave consequences" of this.

And it is not only alcohol that can pose a danger but also illegal drugs, with recent research by Direct Line Car Insurance revealing that 1.2 million motorists in the UK have admitted to taking such a substance before driving in the last 12 months.

Posted by Sarah Bailey