Mum to speak on son's fatal car crash as part of driver safety campaign

THE brave mother of a Teesdale man who died in a car crash is again helping young people become safer drivers by reliving his tragic story.
Anita Thompson, of Middleton-in-Teesdale, first spoke to the next generation of young drivers as part of the WiseDrive scheme last year.
Ms Thompson’s son, Nick Davidson, 28, died after the car he was travelling in as a passenger smashed into a tree near Whorlton in August 2014.
The driver and Nick’s close friend, Grant Benson, 21, also died at the scene. Both men had been drinking.
Ms Thompson is again taking part in the police scheme, which is supported by Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council, the North East Ambulance Service and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service. Almost 1,000 students are receiving the safety workshops over three weeks, starting this week.
Aimed at year 11 students, the day-long event aims to positively influence attitudes and behaviour among young road users. Road collisions are the biggest single cause of death for young people aged 16-24. There is a particular emphasis on drink and drug driving, failing to wear seatbelts, excess speed and distractions such as the use of mobile phones.