Dad who lost teenage daughter in tragic accident helps deliver road safety message to hundreds of Rugby students

A Rugby dad who lost his young daughter in a tragic accident has helped deliver a powerful message to hundreds of students.

George Atkinson organised the Cemex Safe Drive Stay Alive Warwickshire road safety show.

It was recently presented in the Temple Speech Room, Rugby School, to an audience of 400 students in years 12 and 13, as part of Road Safety Week.

George has been a road safety campaigner since his daughter was killed as a pedestrian in London in 1998. She was 16 when a car mounted the pavement and took her life.

Cemex has been a steadfast supporter of the Warwickshire edition of Safe Drive Stay Alive for three years. Contributing to Safe Drive Stay Alive annually exemplifies Cemex's dedication to extending its commitment to road safety within the communities surrounding its operations.

SDSA is a professional stage show that has been running in the UK since 2000 and is now in its fourth year in Warwickshire. The objective of this road safety initiative is to show young people why, as young drivers, they, and their passengers, are so vulnerable in their early years on the road and what they can do to reduce this vulnerability.

Young qualified drivers make up 7% of the total driving population but, disproportionately, are involved in 24% of all serious and fatal crashes. One in six young driver will become involved in a crash within their first two years of driving.

Lisa Greatwood, Head of Wellbeing at Rugby School, said: “The Safe drive stay alive presentation is a hugely informative, innovative and impactful way to bring home the responsibility that every driver has when on the road.”

George said: "I’d like to thank Cemex for their sponsorship and Rugby School for allowing their students to witness this life-saving road safety show.”