Young drivers offered post-crash safety training

2 hours ago

Tanya GuptaSouth East

News image — New training will teach students what to do following a collision

Getty Images A teenage girl sits behind the steering wheel of a car with both hands on the wheel, looking towards another person in the front passenger seat. The photograph is taken from behind the front seats and shows the dashboard, central display, rear-view mirror and windscreen, with buildings and trees visible outside in daylight. — New training will teach students what to do following a collision

A road safety programme for young people is being expanded to teach drivers and passengers what to do after a crash.

The Young Driver and Passenger programme is available to Year 12 and 13 students across Kent and Medway and currently consists of four virtual sessions.

A fifth session has now been added, which will give young people advice on what to do if they are involved in or witness a collision.

Figures from Kent County Council (KCC) show 123 passengers aged between 17 and 24 were killed or seriously injured in Kent and Medway between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025. Of those, 72% were travelling in vehicles driven by someone aged between 17 and 24.

The new session will cover what to do at the scene, how to keep people safe, legal responsibilities and what may need to be done while waiting for emergency services.

'Keeping people safe'

Mark Bunting, KCC's road safety spokesman, said: "While no one wants to find themselves in that situation, knowing how to respond safely and effectively can make an important difference for those involved and for the emergency services attending the scene."

He said the programme helped students "understand the real-life consequences of the decisions they make in vehicles and the responsibilities that come with travelling in a vehicle".

Bunting said the scheme gave young people the knowledge and confidence to make safer choices that help keep themselves and others safe.

The programme, which is run in partnership with Medway Council and the emergency services, is free to educational organisations.

The fifth session is due to be rolled out to secondary schools and colleges that are already signed up to the programme.

It will be delivered by a road safety officer and supported by a film produced with the organisations involved in the course, including Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, South East Coast Ambulance Service and National Highways.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.