A YOUNG man who was left brain-damaged in a car crash is using his experiences to warn others against dangerous driving.

Kevin Fraser, 27, was in a coma for four weeks and doctors gave him just a 50per cent chance of survival after he crashed his car.

The supermarket worker was 18 at the time of the accident and admits he had been drinking the night of the smash, when he lost control of his parents' Volvo estate car and hit a telegraph pole.

Now he is helping the police to warn others of the dangers of careless driving at a special course targeting teenagers, organised by a Blackburn training group. Kevin's grandparents, Irene and Bert O'Meara, of Devon Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, today praised him for his work.

Bert said: "We are extremely proud of Kevin for standing up in front of so many people and talking about his accident. He has come a long way and always retains a positive and cheerful outlook on life."

In April, 1997, Kevin, of Broughton, near Preston, was a trainee chef at Burlingtons Dining Rooms, Broughton, and had finished a long shift at the pub before joining a party of guests for drinks. Afterwards on the way home decided to go for a quick burn out' in the car along a nearby stretch of road.

He was persuaded by his family to help Training 2000, a group based in Blackburn which helps young people gain skills, by speaking to teenagers.

He recently helped Training 2000 at a special Drive to Survive' course, now in its fourth year, run in partnership with the police at the force's headquarters in Hutton.

More than 100 second year automotive and engineering apprentices attended the day-long course. He said: "At first I couldn't accept what had happened and spent all day in the young disabled unit watching rubbish on television, but my mum told me that I had to change, so that's what I did.

"I lost a lot of friends after the accident as my life suddenly became very different to theirs, I could no longer train to be a chef as I wasn't fast enough to work in a busy restaurant and my short-term memory is appalling I have to write myself messages for everything I do.

"My message to teenage drivers out there is don't do it, it ain't worth it'."

Kevin now is in full time employment, drives an automatic car and has gained NVQ qualifications in catering and hotel management.

Steve Walker, head of automotive for Training 2000, said: "We have been running the course for four years now and the feedback from the apprentices has been extremely positive.

"They may see images that they don't wish to see, but if this shocks them into thinking that could be me' then the course is working."