Peterborough: Students Experience Car Crash

9 October 2013, 16:36 | Updated: 9 October 2013, 17:10

Students at Peterborough Regional College have experienced what it would be like to be involved in a car crash, by taking a ride in a new crash simulator.

Students attending the college’s fresher’s fayre were invited to have a go in the crash simulator as part of an event supported by the Safer Peterborough partnership to encourage young people to think about how they drive.

The car seats four people and the simulation lasts eight minutes. 

It starts with a car journey on a typical road, and ends with a collision.

The occupants will experience what happens before, during and after a car crash with the car's hydraulic suspension simulating the car journey and point of impact at the crash. 

A built in smoke machine and light show will also make the atmosphere in the car as realistic as possible.

The young people will see close-up how the emergency services act at the scene of a fatal collision and afterwards will learn more about the personal and legal consequences of a fatal car crash.

Peterborough Car Crash Simulator

Last year 23 per cent of people injured in vehicles on Peterborough's roads were aged between 17 and 25 years-old.

Clair George, Senior Road Safety Officer for the SaferPeterborough partnership told Heart: "There is a wealth of research and casualty data showing that young drivers - particularly young male drivers - are at a much higher risk of crashing and are therefore at risk of losing their lives or being seriously injured on the road, often killing or injuring their young passengers or other road users too.

Youth and inexperience puts younger drivers at such high risk. 

Their inexperience means they have a poor ability to spot hazards and their youth means they are particularly likely to take risks.

It is hoped that this experience will help these young people understand the risks involved when driving and travelling in a vehicle especially if the person driving is taking unnecessary risks."

Speaking to Heart after taking part in the demo a number students told us it made them sit and think "It was shocking, I just thought, wow, I'm never going to use my phone whilst I'm driving." 

Another student said "I just keep my phone on the dashboard and if it rings I normally just look at it to see who is calling, but now, no way, it's going off."