VIDEO: Nottinghamshire ‘crash’ lays bare deadly consequences of getting distracted behind the wheel

The potentially deadly consequences of getting distracted behind the wheel have been laid bare in front of scores of students.
The mock crash demonstration at North Nottinghamshire College.The mock crash demonstration at North Nottinghamshire College.
The mock crash demonstration at North Nottinghamshire College.

A mock crash demonstration saw a number of pupils from North Nottinghamshire College rescued from two vehicles by firefighters from Worksop Fire Station.

Crowds watched on as crews removed the roof from one of the cars in an ‘incident’ which resulted in a fake serious injury and pretend fatality.

Wednesday’s event was organised by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) in conjunction with Nottinghamshire Police and North Nottinghamshire College.

It comes as part of a national Road Safety Week initiative during which NFRS is encouraging people to think twice before letting themselves get distracted when driving.

“Fortunately this was only a demonstration, but we hope it showed the students what really can happen when people let themselves get distracted when behind the wheel,” said station manager Matt Reavill, NFRS lead on road safety who provided commentary for the event.

“Don’t let yourself get distracted when driving because it can potentially lead to death, serious injury or to a lifetime of horrible, unforgettable memories.

“Driver distractions can be a multitude of things ranging from putting your make-up on when driving, eating, drinking, smoking or even letting passengers take your focus away from the road. However, the main one we are trying to focus on is using your mobile phone. Even using it for a split second can lead to a collision and a situation like the one we demonstrated.”

The mock crash demonstration at North Nottinghamshire College.The mock crash demonstration at North Nottinghamshire College.
The mock crash demonstration at North Nottinghamshire College.

One of the pretend casualties in the demonstration, Oliver Tucker, who is also a media student at North Nottinghamshire College, described the mock crash as “scary”.

“If it had been real I know it would have felt ten times worse. Obviously I already knew not to drive and drink and drive and text but this event has actually scared me into not doing it,” he added.

In the last year, NFRS attened 502 road crashes. Sadly, 35 people died in collisions on the county’s roads during 2014/15 and many more were seriously injured.

Visit the NFRS website for safety advice.