TISSUES were silently passed around a theatre as students heard about the horrors of dangerous driving.

Around 360 students from Kingsbury High School visited Harrow Arts Centre this afternoon to watch a Safe Drive Stay Alive event to target dangerous driving in 17-year-olds.

Sponsored by Brent and Harrow council, along with the emergency services and Transport for London, the event featured a number of videos and speeches about how dangerous driving can have an impact on lives.

Hosted by MC Big Ted, the DJ kicked off the event by telling the group of teenagers the main causes of crashes and injuries - which included people not wearing seatbelts, speed and peer pressure.

He also spoke about his own personal experiences of dangerous driving, after losing some of his friends in a car crash.

Students also heard from London Ambulance Service paramedic Natalia Croney, fire fighter Stavros Marangos and PC Kat Conneely.

Mr Marangos said: “Crashes don’t have to involve fatalities or death to have life changing consequences for people.

“You need to make sure that any car you’re driving in or a passenger in has a licence, is insured or has an MOT.

“Make sure the people driving haven’t been drinking or taken drug, and always wear a seatbelt – even if you are in the back.

“It’s your choice, you will decide. Safe drive, stay alive.”

Pupils also heard from bereaved mother Cheryl Robbins, who lost her 18-year-old son Philip in a car crash as he travelled back to university.

Philip was thrown from the car after the driver lost control, leaving him in the fast lane of the M3 where he was hit by two cars.

Nick Bennett was left in a coma for three and a half weeks after his Corsa hit a three-tonne lorry as he was trying to overtake two cars.

Speaking to the students, he said: “Please don’t think you can drive dangerously without suffering the consequences.

“Remember seatbelts are nowhere near as confiding as a wheelchair and it is always better to drive safely and be ten minutes late in this world than be ten minutes early in the next.

“I’m not here today for your sympathy, for your pity or to scare you. But I’m here because I want to share my experiences.”

The scheme, which originated in Scotland, has been running for more than 10 years in the capital and has now spread to 17 boroughs across London.

Boroughs request to be part of the Safe Drive initiative and Transport for London then looks at the statistics to see if funding is needed if there is a problem in the borough.