Advertiser's campaign 'will save lives'

Last year, concerns were raised about the future of the project with a lack of funding, leaving the organisers to self-raise the £23,000 needed each year.

And with the three councils in Forth Valley all reducing their contributions, it appeared as though the 2017 show would be the last for the area.

However, the #KeepSafeDrive took the fight to the Scottish Parliament to make sure the fears of those dedicated volunteers would be addressed.

Stirling, Falkirk and now, following last Monday's budget meeting at Kilncraigs, Clackmannanshire councils have all pledged to help fund the project.

Safe Drive has already reached out 40,000 young people in central Scotland and delivered a hard-hitting safety message about careless and inattentive behaviour on the road.

Organiser Alan Faulds, a community safety liaison officer with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, has served on the project since it first started ten years ago.

He has always stood by the notable contribution Safe Drive, Stay Alive has made to the reduction in those young people killed or seriously injured on the roads in central Scotland.

Over the last few months, he has made impassioned pleas to the three councils urging them to back their efforts and ensure their crucial road safety message is preserved for future generations.

Alan told the Advertiser: "I am really thankful the councils have all come to the same realisation that this project needs to keep going and have decided to back the good work we are doing.

"There has been a lot of pressure on them, and not just from politicians, but from parents and schools too.

"Of course, the main thing for us, as it always has been, is that this is continued funding.

"It's all fine for councils to jump up and down for 2018, but we don't want to be back here again this time next year.

"Stirling and Falkirk have each committed to continued funding and we hope Clacks will do the same."

Alan praised all those who rolled up their sleeves to help since the #KeepSafeDrive campaign launched in January.

Since then, hundreds signed a petition to show their support for the project, while MSPs debated the funding issue at Holyrood earlier this month.

Alan said: "I can't thank the Advertiser enough for the work it has done over the last few months. It has really gone above and beyond.

"They have badgered and harassed MSPs into getting on board and without them we would never have been heard in the Scottish Parliament.

"Three months ago we had no money for 2018 and now look where we are.

"The driving force has come from the paper and the work it has done will save lives. It's as simple as that."

Alan added: "It is important to add that the Safe Drive team also thank the MSPs for all the hard work they have done. We are all very grateful.

"I know I was very humbled when the project was mentioned at the highest level in the land, by the people running the country."

The Central Safe Drive group have been asked repeatedly to consider a different way of delivering the programme to make it cheaper.

However, the organisers had been clear that their methods are no accident – they were designed specifically to reach the target audience and leave a last impact.

Alan has argued that changing their approach, could compromise the efficacy of the initiative.

He said: "There has been a lot of pressure to change the format, with some asking why we don't take it round the schools and save money that way.

"I keep telling them that the show is successful because we take kids away from their schools, out of their comfort zones. They can be quite territorial in their own schools.

"We want the message to sink in, to stay with them, and that's what it does now.

"And we feel that Clacks, Stirling, and Falkirk have all given us the money based on the strength of the show as it is. So why would we change it?"