An annual road safety event due to educate hundreds of senior school pupils in the north-east this December has been cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Safe Drive Stay Alive initiative is a chance for emergency services and those affected by road accidents to warn would-be-drivers of the dangers involved with getting behind the wheel.
The multi-agency initiative is usually held in Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom and open to teenage drivers and passengers from across Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray.
But with restrictions on public gatherings still in place due to the ongoing lockdown, this year’s event has been cancelled.
Aberdeenshire Council’s communities committee chairwoman, Turriff councillor Anne Stirling, said the cancellation was “hugely disappointing” but that public safety must be top priority during the pandemic.
She said: “I know how much work and dedication has already gone into the planning of this year’s roadshow and I want to thank the organisers and sponsors for all their efforts.
“The importance of the Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow in our community cannot be underestimated. Its hard-hitting message highlights the often horrific outcomes as a result of poor driving such as speeding and being distracted.”
The single-day event involves the region’s emergency services, local authorities, agencies and business supporters and aims to bring home to young adults some of the physical and emotional scars which can result from a road traffic collision