The National Fire Chiefs Council has pledged to “develop new programmes that are fit for the future and use the most up to date theories and techniques”, in response to research questioning the effectiveness of negatively charged theatre-in education style interventions.
Speaking during the latest episode of the RSGB Talk podcast, Dan Quin, the NFCC’s new road safety lead, explained how the research carried out by Liz Box at the RAC Foundation “is really important in understanding how we can better educate young people so that it has a long-lasting effect”.
The three-year Pre-Driver Theatre and Workshop Education Research (PdTWER) programme set out to find the best way to use pre-driver theatre and workshop education to support young and novice driver safety.
The study urges practitioners to cease delivering negatively charged emotional interventions, which have typically been popular with Fire & Rescue services, because ‘there are more effective alternatives for improving behavioural outcomes’.
The podcast, which also features Tony Smith, the NFCC’s tactical lead for motorcycle safety, further discusses the organisation’s work in the road safety sector, with a particular focus on its upcoming Motorcycle Safety Week (3-9 April).
Tony outlines the event’s aims and how road safety teams can get involved.
He discusses the importance of bike maintenance and PPE in the context of the cost-of-living crisis, providing tips for those working to a tight budget.
Tony also outlines the challenge of reaching gig-economy riders – and the role employers can play in helping to deliver important information.
When it comes to improving safety for motorcyclists, Tony stressed the importance of undertaking further training wherever and whenever possible.
The episode also touches on the significance of the EXtrication In Trauma (EXIT) project.
EXIT explores a different approach to how emergency services respond to motor vehicle collisions to reduce both deaths and disabilities.
It recommends that self-extrication should be delivered wherever possible with the extrication goal of minimising entrapment time – as opposed to minimising movement.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
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