STUDENTS at a Hereford college were confronted with the shocking realities of a road traffic collision at an event this week.

Fire crews demonstrated an extrication – which included the unsettling sounds of crunching metal and glass breaking – at a road safety awareness day held at Herefordshire and Ludlow College.

The day, called 'Wheels & Skills', was delivered by 3D Driving Awareness and was brought to Hereford after Angela Tyler, director and trustee of the ELY Memorial Fund Charity, saw the benefits of the event for the county.

Her daughter, Emma Young, was just 23 when she was involved in a car accident.

The day offered a mix of practical and theory sessions to help increase road safety awareness in order to reduce road accidents involving young drivers.

The fire service, police, Travis Perkins, AA, Kwik-Fit, Herefordshire Road Safety Partnership as well as local councillors all attended.

VIDEO: Fire crews demonstrate extrication at road safety awareness event.

Students also had the chance to try a 3D driving awareness electric go-kart where they drove around a course full of pedestrian obstacles – once without any distractions and once while wearing impairment ‘beer’ goggles which simulates the effects of alcohol and drugs upon a driver.

Speaking at the event, Angela Tyler said she hoped students would take away a clear message from the day – the importance of road safety.

Di Wood, whose son Thomas Wood was tragically killed in a collision last year, said: "We need to save lives. Parents can't go through what we have gone through. It's the worst thing anybody can imagine."

The Ely Memorial Fund charity offers a one-off payment towards funeral costs for families in Herefordshire if they lose a son or daughter between 17 and 25 in a road traffic accident.

Visit http://ely-memorial-fund.org.uk/ for more information.