SHOCKER students at a Rawtenstall school learned what it could be like to come face to face with a real car accident.

Pupils at Alder Grange Community Technology School and Sixth Form were shown what can happen in the aftermath of a crash in a demonstration put on by Rawtenstall firefighters as part of Road Safety Week earlier this week.

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The firefighters wheeled out a white Ford Fiesta, which had a huge dent in its bonnet and a smashed windscreen and driver-side window.

They then proceeded to show the sixth formers assembled the Calder Road school car park exactly what would be involved in cutting a seriously injured casualty out of a car.

The demonstration was co-ordinated by road safety charity Brake, which hopes to improve drivers’ awareness of other road users after 149 people were killed on the North West’s roads last year.

Head of school Jo Griffiths said the year 12 and year 13 teenagers were all very keen to be part of the safety campaign and take part in the demonstration.

She said: “It’s really important to get the message across to promote safety awareness to young drivers and their passengers.

“The event was a huge success – the students were very focused throughout the demonstration, which lasted for almost an hour.

“We would like to thank Rawtenstall fire station manager Liam Wilson and all of the firefighting team for their very informative and professional demonstration.”

Year 13 student Shabana Begum volunteered to play the role a casualty who had supposedly suffered a serious neck injury. A firefighter acted as a paramedic in the back seat to reassure her.

The car was completely cut up, and the roof removed, so Shabana could be rescued from the vehicle on a spinal board.

Julie Townsend, Brake’s deputy chief executive, Brake, said: “When drivers use roads without care for others the consequences can be tragic and horrific – people killed and badly injured, lives ruined forever, often because of a moment of impatience or selfishness.

“At Brake we witness the suffering that results from serious crashes every day through our work supporting people affected by road death and injury.

“And there are wider consequences if we don’t look out for each other on the roads – people are afraid to walk and cycle, or let their kids walk and cycle, and are unable to get out and enjoy their community and live active lifestyles.”