SOLDIERS are taking part in a hard-hitting road safety campaign in an effort to reduce the number of crashes involving people serving in the military.

Safe Drive Stay Alive uses powerful personal testimony and dramatic video footage to make the audience more aware of the tragedy and suffering caused by road traffic collisions.

Firefighters, medics, police officers, bereaved parents and people who have been involved in crashes recount their stories, often in heartbreaking detail.

Hundreds of soldiers from three Wiltshire-based regiments will take part in the roadshow, including the Royal Horse Artillery based at Tidworth.

Ian Hopkins, road safety development manager at Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: "Young soldiers coming back to Britain after a tour of duty abroad are at serious risk of being involved in a road traffic collision. In Wiltshire, we have seen far too many people from the military community being injured or killed on our roads. By taking the Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow to the barracks, we are able to make this high risk group more aware of the dangers they face."

Safe Drive Stay Alive is a Wiltshire and Swindon road safety initiative coordinated by Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service. Launched in 2006, the scheme was initially aimed at Year 11 students, but has since been extended to cover military personnel as well.