Youngsters learned a tearful lesson in road safety today thanks to a talk from a crash survivor.

Teenagers wept as a video was shown at the King's Centre in Osney Mead, Oxford, as part of the Safe Drive Stay Alive campaign.

Gareth Houston, of Didcot, told about 1,000 teenagers aged between 16 and 18 how his motorcycle crash had left him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

The 21 year old spent 12 days in intensive care and at one stage was given just 48 hours to live after the crash near Wantage three years ago.

Mr Houston was crushed against a road sign and now has metal plates, screws and clamps in his spine.

He said: "From what I have heard youngsters will remember me and remember my accident.

"This stays in people's memories and I am trying to get road safety ingrained in people's minds especially to slow down and do not drink and drive."

The Safe Drive Stay Alive campaign is a partnership between Thames Valley Police, fire and rescue services, the South Central NHS Ambulance Service, hospital accident and emergency, road safety officers and the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership.

The video follows a group of teenagers on a night out which ends in tragedy, when one passenger who is not wearing a seat belt is killed and a second ends up disabled.

Some of the teenagers who watched the video and listened to accounts of firefighters, police and paramedics who attended road crashes had to leave the room in tears.

They were also warned about the perils of drink-driving, not wearing a seat belt, driving too fast and distracting drivers.

The parents of 19-year-old Sam Preston, killed in a car crash in Berkshire in 2004, spoke about their loss.

Afterwards, teenagers pledged to change their habits.

Gareth Smith, 16, of Bicester College, said: "Having two parents speaking about their dead son was the worst bit.

"I keep thinking, 'what if it was my mum and dad having to go through that?'"

Classmate Craig Tredwell, 17, said: "I know I have to be careful on the roads. I would hate to put my mum and dad through what we have seen."

Student Max Holman, 17, said: "If anyone gets in my car now, they've got to be wearing a seat belt.

"I don't want to be responsible for killing anyone just because they got in the back and didn't put their seat belt on."

About 10,000 teenagers across the Thames Valley are expected to watch the video this week.

Supt Mick Doyle, head of roads policing, said: "It is hoped this campaign will reduce the number of young people who lose their lives on the roads and the families who suffer their loss."

An estimated one in five under 20-year-olds who die are killed on the roads.