The stark reality of becoming a victim
of a road accident was played out to Richmondshire based troops
this month.
Corporal Simon Gilmore delivered a grim
picture of life in a wheelchair and urged them not to ‘end up like
me’.
Simon – a member of the Duke of Lancaster
Regiment based at Catterick Garrison – was left paralysed from the
chest down and confined to a wheelchair after the car he was
driving was involved in a serious accident.
He told members of his regiment many of them
who are young drivers that he has no recollection of the accident
and is now attending rehabilitation.
“Now that the party season is nearly upon us,
I urge people not to be tempted to drink and drive or take drugs
and drive,” he said
“Don’t take risks and don’t be speeding or you
will end up like me – spending your days in a wheelchair and having
to cope with the problems that throws at you is no fun.”
He joined members of the Hambleton and
Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership as they delivered vital
road safety messages to soldiers from 1st
Battalion – Duke of Lancasters Regiment at Catterick Garrison.
Police and fire service officers also gave
hard hitting talks with the fire brigade performing a simulated
rescue from a crashed car and the North Yorkshire County Council
(NYCC) road safety team offering reaction testing.
- The partnership is also supporting this weeks National Road
Safety Week (Nov 21 – 27) which has 'Too young to die'
as its theme. The charity Brake is using the week to raise
awareness of the devastating impact road deaths and life changing
injuries caused by road accidents have on families. The
campaign says a single mistake made on the road can rob a child the
rest of his or her potential life - and are often caused by drivers
not adhering to the speed limits, using a mobile phone while
driving, drink driving, driving after taking drugs or driving when
tired. For more information http://www.roadsfetyweek.org.uk/
November 22, 2011
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