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Crash courses for young motoring offenders
6 Feb 2008
Crash courses for young motoring offenders
YOUNG motoring offenders are being ordered to take part in new fire service courses to learn about the consequences of road crashes and develop new skills.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is providing the expertise for offenders referred to it by Youth Offending Teams in the area, with the aim of both highlighting the potential risks from their offending and helping to develop important life-skills.
The first of the five-day courses has now taken place, involving those convicted of a range of offences from aggravated vehicle taking and driving their parents' cars without permission to damaging buses.
Similar courses are already in place to help deal with those responsible for causing fires and a key element of the work is that the course is conducted in a disciplined manner.
Participants are taught about cutting casualties from crashed vehicles and other emergency service techniques for dealing with the aftermath of collisions. All the work involves teamwork, co-operation and discipline.
There are also lessons on the effects of long-term injuries caused by crashes and the mental anguish that can also result. A teenage girl left with physical and mental disabilities after being hit by a car will talk to the groups, as will a 21-year-old currently serving a sentence for reckless driving at Moorland Prison, Doncaster.
Organiser Andy Kirwan said a similar firefighting course fo
r other young offenders had already proved successful.
"We exercise rigid boundaries, which some of the youths may not have experienced before, but also reward positive behaviour," he said.
"This boosts their confidence and shows them that they can really succeed if they put their minds to it.
"Firefighters are viewed by most youngsters in a really positive light, so we can build mutual respect with them. This means we can also develop ongoing relationships with the youngsters, so that they have a positive role model to look up to in future.
"One-third of all deaths in 17-25-year-olds are caused by road traffic collisions, the single biggest killer in that age group.
"Irresponsible behaviour on the roads is not only dangerous for them, it is dangerous for everyone else on our roads. We are trying to get to the core of the problem by changing the attitudes of young people."
The first of the five-day courses has now taken place, involving those convicted of a range of offences from aggravated vehicle taking and driving their parents' cars without permission to damaging buses.
Similar courses are already in place to help deal with those responsible for causing fires and a key element of the work is that the course is conducted in a disciplined manner.
Participants are taught about cutting casualties from crashed vehicles and other emergency service techniques for dealing with the aftermath of collisions. All the work involves teamwork, co-operation and discipline.
There are also lessons on the effects of long-term injuries caused by crashes and the mental anguish that can also result. A teenage girl left with physical and mental disabilities after being hit by a car will talk to the groups, as will a 21-year-old currently serving a sentence for reckless driving at Moorland Prison, Doncaster.
Organiser Andy Kirwan said a similar firefighting course fo
"We exercise rigid boundaries, which some of the youths may not have experienced before, but also reward positive behaviour," he said.
"This boosts their confidence and shows them that they can really succeed if they put their minds to it.
"Firefighters are viewed by most youngsters in a really positive light, so we can build mutual respect with them. This means we can also develop ongoing relationships with the youngsters, so that they have a positive role model to look up to in future.
"One-third of all deaths in 17-25-year-olds are caused by road traffic collisions, the single biggest killer in that age group.
"Irresponsible behaviour on the roads is not only dangerous for them, it is dangerous for everyone else on our roads. We are trying to get to the core of the problem by changing the attitudes of young people."
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