Academy youngsters take part in Road Safety workshop | OneFootball

The Leeds United Academy recently welcomed West Yorkshire Police to Thorp Arch to deliver an educational workshop around young drivers staying safe on the roads.

During their time at the Leeds United training ground, the Roads Policing Unit delivered an impactful presentation to some of our aspiring young footballers, as part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of road safety among young people.

‘One Life Lost’ sees officers using their own experiences of dealing with horrific collisions to try to get across the devastating consequences of dangerous or careless driving.

Figures currently show that more than 1,500 young drivers are killed or seriously injured on UK roads each year. Globally, road traffic collisions are the main cause of death among those aged 15-29, and we also know that 1 in 5 new drivers will be involved in a crash within one year of passing their test.

Following the presentation, Academy youngster Jake, aged 16, said: “It’s scary. Even just being a passenger, you can still be affected by other people’s actions. You have to remember that it’s not just you that you’re taking responsibility for, it’s other people as well.

“There’s a lot of hype around driving, especially when you leave school. It takes a lot to talk to your friends and build up the courage to say ‘you need to be careful, you need to be sensible’. But I think there is something around that.”

Josh, 18, said: “It shows you the hard truths of driving. You don’t really understand how it affects other people, like their families, not just the people in the crash. When I drive home after training, I’ll be thinking about it, checking my speed and making sure my phone’s not near me.”

17-year-old Elton, added: “When you’re driving you don’t really know about the statistics around the deaths and fatal injuries on the roads, but when you get told about it, it makes you realise just how important it is to follow every single rule that has been put in place to keep you safe.”

Chief Inspector James Farrar, Roads Policing Lead at West Yorkshire Police, said: “Young drivers and riders remain disproportionately affected by serious collisions and we are determined to change that through both education and enforcement.

“During the presentation we talk to young people about the ‘fatal five’ - the leading factors that contribute to serious collisions – and try to get them thinking about the consequences.

“For example, we know that more than a third of people killed in cars on Britain's roads were not wearing seatbelts, and that using a phone behind the wheel makes you four times more likely to be in a crash.

“One life lost is one too many, and we will continue to do all we can to highlight the devastating impact and encourage young people to think twice when they get behind the wheel.”

For more information around presentation delivered, please click here.