From the end of September to beginning of October, the Secondary schools in the  Redbridge community, took a visit to the Kenneth More Thearte located in Ilford, due to the ‘safe drive, stay alive’ production. The prodcution started with music blasting as the Year 12, sixth form students took their seats, and then they were introduced to the host of the show, who talked a bit about what the students would be seeing. This then lead to the school’s choosing a volunteer to go on to the stage to take part in some driving trivia questions. After this the fun was over.

The students were then shown a clip of a group of teenagers who were injured and some who dies in a car crash, which lead to the students feeling shocked and scared. The production then continued with small talks by a fireman who was called on duty of a car crash, descrbing the scene of a car crash, which was very unpleasent. There was also a talk from a mother who had lost her very young son to a car crash, and she finished the talk with a message for the students to take away with them after, which was to always wear a seatbelt and to not drive fast just because it looks “cool”. The final talk was from a man who was badly injured in a car crash, and he described how he was in a coma and was not able to walk for 2 years and found it diffucult to speak, but he is now able to walk, and talk much better, but he descibed those 2 years as being a terrible experience. The production then ended with the speakers and the host, saying “safe drive, stay alive” and then with the audience of students and teachers applauding.

Amal Aftab, 16, Ursuline Academy Ilford, said, “‘The safe drive, stay alive’ production was very eye opening as I was never aware how a car accident can cause so much trouble not just yourself but also for those who surround you. I will definetely put my seat belt on in the car now”.

Isabel King, 16, Ursuline Academy Ilford, stated, “When I start driving, I wil make sure as the driver that eveyone in the car feels safe, including myself, as I do not want to be in any of the situatiosn the teenagers were in, in the video we just watched”.

As the students left the thearte, they were given a key ring souvenier as a reminder for them to ‘safe drive, stay alive’.