During this year’s Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) awards evening, a group of volunteer speakers from the Safe Drive Stay Alive (SDSA) programme received a heartfelt tribute for their unwavering dedication to road safety education.
Held at Tidworth Garrison Theatre on Friday 9 May, the awards ceremony saw Councillor Paul Oatway QPM, Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, present the Making a Difference award to the team of SDSA speakers – ordinary individuals who have delivered extraordinary contributions.
For almost two decades, SDSA has brought real-life road safety education to life through first-hand accounts. The format has often included those who have suffered personal tragedy, bravely reliving the day their lives changed in a split second due to road traffic collisions. Emergency service professionals and frontline medics have also shared their experiences, aiming to educate young drivers about the brutal reality of unsafe driving.
Now, with a shift in national educational strategy supported by the National Fire Chiefs Council, DWFRS is phasing out this approach, focusing less on personal testimony. In light of this change, the Fire Service took the opportunity to publicly recognise the people whose voices have echoed through assembly halls, auditoriums and classrooms, helping to shift attitudes and save lives.
Among those recognised on the night were Claire and Dave Barnett, Demi Bishop, Elaine Corner, Jorge Moss, Angela Platt, Andrew Stagg, Greg Sumner and Lea Watson – all of whom have faced the unimaginable, yet continued to speak out for the sake of others.
Councillor Oatway spoke with genuine admiration: “Safe Drive Stay Alive has had a lasting impact on young people in our communities, and that’s down to the courage of those who stood before an audience and shared their truth.
“To revisit those moments publicly takes emotional strength. They’ve done so with the selfless hope that others might make safer choices, and for that, they fully deserve our respect and thanks.”
He added that the contribution of these individuals has no doubt helped save lives – a legacy that will continue long after the final SDSA presentation has taken place.
DWFRS is now reviewing how best to continue delivering road safety messages in ways that remain effective and impactful, without relying so heavily on personal stories.
