A CSO from Abergavenny, Monmouthshire’s road safety team and South Wales Fire and Rescue joined forces to arrange an event for young people to tackle a problem with anti-social driving and a spate of fatalities in Gwent in the past 12 months.
The aim of the event, held at a car park in Abergavenny where reports of anti-social driving had been received, was to encourage residents to meet the young people and tell them how their driving and behaviour was affecting the community.
The young drivers also had a chance to have their say and talk to the council’s planning team who are proposing a change to the layout of the car park.
South Wales Fire and Rescue arranged for a crash car to be on display so drivers could see how a vehicle can be damaged during a traffic collision.
CSO Amanda Yung gave a demonstration called ‘Not In their Shoes’ which comprised a pair of shoes, laid out in a timeline, for every victim of a traffic collision in the past year.
The event was deemed a success with more than 40 vehicles, drivers and passengers coming along, as well as many residents.
Carolyn Derosaire, Monmouthshire’s road safety officer, said: "This was a wonderful opportunity to engage with a group which is often demonized, the majority of whom are not intent on causing a nuisance, but indulging their enthusiasm for their cars.
“The pairs of empty shoes, representing those killed on the roads of Monmouthshire since 2014, made a very powerful and visual statement that we are not dealing with statistics, but real people and real losses."
CSO Yung said: “I’ve got to know the drivers in Abergavenny and the local residents so it was important to me to help prevent anti-social issues and also mainly the fatalities on our roads.”
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