Motorcycle accident reconstruction

Moped and car accident reconstruction

A mock-up of a motorcycle accident brought home the realities of the dangers young scooter riders can face.

A horrific crash between a moped and a car was staged in the motor vehicle workshops at Furness College.

Students gasped as they witnessed the aftermath of an extremely realistic-looking collision at the Channelside college.

The hard-hitting multi-agency activity was part of the Scooter Safety campaign.

Young people are being educated about using mopeds and vehicles under 125cc more safely.

There has been an increase in the number of young people injured in the Barrow area on scooters.

Around 300 young people watched the staged scenario involving officers from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, paramedics, police, and police community support officers.

The fire service’s ‘Incident Response Vehicle’ was partially placed in the workshop and Cumbria police motorcycles were also on sight to create a scene that was as near to real life as possible.

Broken glass from smashed windscreens and door panels, screaming casualties, sirens and police radio conversations all made the scenario more real.

Casualty Union volunteers acted out their role as accident victims.

The make-up techniques, used to create realistic wounds for the these casualties, left some of the students a little queasy.

The young moped riders were also offered the chance to take part in a training course at Barrow fire station on a later date.

The fire service’s target age group for road safety awareness are 17 to 24 year olds.

Cumbria has had some of the worst figures in country for the number of young people seriously injured or killed in road incidents.

Officers are educating young riders and drivers about road safety through Operation Orwell.

The youngsters learned about the implications of speeding or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The graphic activity was an extension of regular presentations delivered to college students by the fire and rescue service. Students see images of car wrecks and hear about people who have been injured in crashes or those who have even lost a loved one through a road death.

Paul Milburn, Cumbria and Fire and Rescue Services’s Barrow White Watch manager, was extremely pleased with the way the event went and the potential impact this could have on the numbers of road traffic collisions in future.

He said: “The number of students participating in this activity will have benefited from the close reality of this event and we are confident it will make many of them think twice before taking unnecessary risks in the future.”

Karen Turner, learning enrichment coordinator at Furness College, said “The college really values and supports this type of multi-agency activity in its approach in educating the young people on their level and in such a visual and engaging way that really stimulates their imaginations and hopefully, and more importantly, makes them think before they climb into the cars or on to mopeds.”

Mrs Turner said the college has received very positive comments following the event.

She said: “All the feedback from both students and staff alike shows that the activity has also been very positively received.

“Potentially it might help save a few more young people from serious injury or even death.”