Fire crew gives dramatic rescue demonstration to students at Printworks Campus

Printworks Campus experienced a powerful and impactful road safety event on Wednesday 2 October. The event was organised in collaboration with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Hunslet White Watch crew, plus its Youth Intervention Team.

The session, which included a realistic simulation of a car crash, highlighted the severe consequences of dangerous driving. Students from our new School of Sustainable Technologies & Motor Vehicle were given practical experiences in:

• Speed testing 
• Reaction times 
• Driving under the influence

The experience served to reinforce the risks faced by drivers, passengers, other road users, and pedestrians.

A believable looking collision scene

The firefighters recreated a dramatic road crash scene complete with real-time emergency responses and, thanks to our Media Makeup students, realistic looking injuries.

Students saw at first hand how quickly poor driving decisions can result in severe injuries or fatalities. The session emphasised not only the immediate physical consequences of crashes, but also the long-term impacts. Including things such as high insurance premiums, licence suspension, legal ramifications, and potential job losses.

Driving experiences

The Youth Intervention Team also conducted interactive activities that allowed students to get behind the wheel of a real car. These included:

• Speed Tests: students experienced how even slight variations in speed can drastically affect stopping distances and reaction times
• Reaction Time Challenges: using a controlled environment, students tested their reaction times and learned how distractions or slower responses can lead to serious accidents
• Driving Under the Influence Simulation: with the help of impairment goggles, students simulated driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which helped to demonstrate how impaired judgement can make even simple driving tasks extremely dangerous

The interactive approach ensured that our students could fully grasp how dangerous risky driving behaviours are. The combination of a realistic collision scene and these practical, hands-on activities made a lasting impact on the students.

Josh Elcock, School of Sustainable Technologies and Motor Vehicle tutor at Leeds City College said: “By giving our students the chance to experience these situations first hand, we’re helping them understand the very real dangers that exist behind the wheel.

“This isn’t just about passing a driving test, it’s about understanding the responsibility that comes with driving and how actions can have life-altering consequences for themselves and others.”

Liam Oldfield, Personal Development, Behaviour, and Attitude Course Lead at Leeds City College, added: “This event was incredibly valuable in demonstrating the potential consequences of poor decisions on the road.

“By allowing students to experience it in a controlled setting, we hope, as part of our preventative curriculum, they’ll take these lessons with them and drive responsibly in the future.”

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