A TWO-WEEK long road safety event begins next week to educate more than 10,000 young people about the dangers of driving recklessly.

A number of schools and colleges will attend one of five venues to see the hour-long film and theatre event for 17-19-year-olds.

It explores the circumstances that can lead to a crash on the road and the consequences that follow.

At the event a film will be shown. It shows four young people on a night out. The car crashes as they are on their way to a local club. It has been edited for each venue, so that local roads and scenes familiar to the audience will appear on the screen.

As the events unfold and members of the emergency services arrive on scene, they literally step out on to the stage.

While the film is freeze-framed, the police officer, paramedic, fire and rescue officer or accident and emergency consultant then talk about their real life experiences, the medical implications and how seeing such trauma affects them personally.

They will then be followed by the parents of a fatal road collision victim, a student who lost his friend in a collision and a person who was left paralysed.

Alongside the students attending, those aged between 16 and 25 who are caught not wearing a seatbelt, either as a passenger or driver, will be offered the chance to attend one of the events, rather than pay the £30 non-endorsable fine.

A minimum of 60 spaces have been reserved at venues for those issued with a fine for not wearing a seatbelt, including the Kings Centre, Osney Mead, on Wednesday and Thursday.

On arrival at one of the events, their fixed penalty notice will be endorsed to confirm attendance and the ticket will be cancelled.

Supt Mick Doyle, head of roads policing, said: "We must do everything we can to try and reduce the number of young people being killed or seriously injured on the roads. Safe Drive Stay Alive is a huge campaign and we are hoping we can really make a difference.

"As well as the sixth form students who will be attending, we decided it would be a great opportunity to reach those who are no longer in full time education and might not get a chance to attend an event otherwise.

" Everyone between the ages of 16 and 25 who gets stopped by a roads policing officer between today and November 13 and is issued with a fine will be given the chance to attend a workshop.

"I urge teenagers and any of the many people who have contact with this age group to join us in this bid to reduce road deaths by logging on to the website at www.safedrive.org.uk and booking tickets to the events."