By Hannah Woolridge

During November local Sixth Forms from Epsom were invited to Dorking Halls to experience a Surrey County Council presentation called 'Safe Drive Stay Alive'. This is a live stage show and is based around the filmed reconstruction of a traffic collision. The project aims to prevent young people being killed or seriously injured in road accidents. It is geared towards teenagers who are just getting to driving age; its purpose is to make them aware of the dangers of not driving safely.

The experience is very moving. As part of the presentation, people who have been personally affected by road accidents stand up and tell their stories. These include members of the Emergency Services, as well as young people who have actually been injured and parents of victims. The most moving accounts came from a mother who's 17 year old daughter died in a road accident and a boy who had been seriously disabled.

The presentation doesn't want to make teenagers too scared to drive - it just wants to emphasize how important it is to drive carefully and safely. It is an emotional experience and it is hoped that the audience gains a real appreciation of how crucial it is to drive responsibly. In the few years since the presentation began, the number of deaths on Surrey roads has begun to decrease and hopefully this trend will continue in the future.