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Drink driving road safety lesson for offenders: driving the message home

02 May 2012

Offenders serving community orders supervised by the Trust have attended Malton Fire Station to provide a much needed helping hand and to learn more about road safety and the devastating impact of road traffic collisions.

As part of their punishment, offenders were required to make environmental improvements to the neglected and overgrown garden and wooded area which surrounds and belongs to the Fire Station.

With Community Payback, offenders supervised by the Trust each complete between 40 to 300 hours of unpaid work as part of their community order - work that might not otherwise be done. The work benefits local communities, punishes offenders and ensures that offenders pay something back for the wrong they have done.

In addition, as part of the day, offenders observed the Fire and Rescue Service conducting training and learned more about why vehicle collisions occur - and importantly the impact these incidents have on drivers, passengers and their families.

As part of the event there was a simulation exercise where two offenders experienced being trapped inside a vehicle, as they would be following a collision, and being cut free by the Fire Service using powerful hydraulic equipment.

Learning more about road safety, road collisions and drink driving is a great way to increase community safety, encouraging the offenders to take a more responsible attitude towards road safety and thereby protecting other drivers from harm.

The exercises reinforced important safety themes such as obeying speed limits, wearing seatbelts and never drink or use drugs and drive.

Some of the participating offenders have previous convictions for driving offences, and will be able to utilise their increased understanding of road traffic collisions to become safer road users.

Karl Parkin, Community Payback Manager for York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust, said: “We were really pleased to work with Malton Fire Station, to provide a much needed hand to improve the environment around the Station - as well as learn more about road safety. It was an excellent way of driving the message home to offenders about the harm that drink driving can cause - all of whom were clearly influenced by the exercise.

“I would like to particularly thank Watch Manager Justin Rowe, Red Watch and the ‘on call’ fire-fighters who were very proactive in making this event so successful.”

Andy Blades, Station Manager - Ryedale District adds: “The work undertaken by the Community Payback team has resulted in a significant improvement to the grounds at Malton fire station, meaning that this community facility has been improved without any impact on Fire Service funding.

“The opportunity to incorporate key safety activity with a group of people who we would consider ‘high risk’ was very beneficial to our organisation and the community we serve. I’m confident that this event will improve the safety of those present and all road users in Ryedale and the county of North Yorkshire.”

The Community Payback team are also working hard in Malton at the Memorial Hall, where they are undertaking extensive painting and decorating as part of their punishment.

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