A NEW road safety programme, aimed specifically at defence personnel, is launching this week.

The new scheme is based on the established and highly successful Safe Drive Stay Alive scheme.

Part-funded by a grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, the driving survival scheme will be seen by nearly 2,000 people at military bases in Dorset and Wiltshire before the end of the month.

Ian Hopkins, road safety manager for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We have been taking our Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow to local military bases for the past ten years, but Survive The Drive is designed specifically for its audience and is intended to be rolled out across the country.

“We use the strapline ‘tomorrow is decided today’ as these are people who can relate to the impact of a split-second decision.

“We want them to recognise the parallels between the decisions they make while operational, and those they make at home when driving, and to adjust their actions accordingly.”

Statistics show that vehicle-related accidents are the second largest cause of non-operational fatalities and injuries across the Ministry of Defence, only exceeded by training incidents.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has now worked in partnership with the Ministry of Defence’s Movement and Transport Safety Regulator, Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, SAFE South West, Devon County Council and the University of Plymouth to develop Survive The Drive.

The aim is that all military personnel, including civil servants, will get a greater understanding of the risks on our roads and the impact that a road traffic collision can have on them, their families and the wider community.

The pilot shows running throughout November will be evaluated by the University of Plymouth, with a view to formally launching the scheme nationally in the New Year. Between now and Christmas, the shows will be seen by personnel at Lyneham, Blandford, Tidworth, HMS Drake and Stonehouse.