Upper Teesdale mother's backing for Wisedrive road safety campaign

A TEESDALE mother, who lost her son in a tragic car accident three years ago, remains keen to share her heartache with young people in the hope of encouraging them to be safer drivers.

Anita Thompson, from Middleton-in-Teesdale, spoke during WiseDrive – Drive for Life, a three-week police-led road safety scheme which was attended by 1,000 pupils from schools across the county.

Mrs Thompson’s 28-year-old son, Nick Davidson, died after the car he was a passenger in smashed into a tree near Whorlton in the early hours of August 16, 2014. The driver, who was Nick’s close friend, Grant Benson, 21, from Barnard Castle, also died at the scene.

The pair had been drinking and Mr Benson was later found to be over the drink-drive limit.

Mrs Thompson said: “This is the third year I have been taking part in the WiseDrive event. I still strongly believe that educating our youngsters and young drivers is a positive thing. It is definitely a benefit to them because of all of the different safety aspects they learn through all the different workshops. It also gives them an insight into what can happen if they make that bad choice. It is difficult to talk about it. It doesn’t get any easier but I do feel it has made a positive difference.”

The award-winning event, which was held at The Work Place in Newton Aycliffe, is supported by Durham Constabulary, the North East Ambulance Service, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Durham County Council and Darlington Borough council.

WiseDrive includes practical sessions which focus on the Fatal Four – drink and drug driving, failing to wear a seatbelt, speeding and distractions such as mobile phones – which are the most common causes of death and serious injury in road traffic collisions. Mrs Thompson spoke to the young people after they were shown a video relating to the accident in which Nick lost his life.

She said: “I come in on the part where it is about picking up the pieces. It lets them have an insight into what our lives are like three years on and how difficult it is. We are letting them see that it does not have to be like this. I speak about the things that we are missing and the things we don’t have now.

“I tell them about the five days before we knew who was driving and how relieved I felt that Nick was the passenger and fortunately, if I can say that, he was killed instantly. Also, the immense guilt that I felt immediately after that because the driver was another mum’s son who died terribly. I would not wish this on any family.”

Ms Thompson was joined by her daughter and Nick’s sister, Kelly Manser.

Mrs Manser said: “Last year we had some really positive feedback from parents of children who had been here. They have gone home and it has really hit them hard.

Mrs Thompson added: “If the youngsters can just give what we say five seconds thought, that is all I ask and if they find themselves in that position, that it is a good choice they make.”

In the Durham force area, 1,147 young people aged between 15 and 24 were injured in car accidents between 2014 and 2016.

This figure includes 142 young road users who were either seriously injured or killed.