A CAMPAIGN that has helped reduce the number of young people killed or seriously injured is under threat due to a lack of funding.

The Safe Drive Stay Alive initiative has been operating across the Forth Valley area for the past 10 years, interacting with an estimated 40,000 school pupils in that time.

Each year, the Central Safe Drive group invites fourth years from every high school in the Clackmannanshire, Stirling and Falkirk council areas to a free awareness show.

From there, they present to the audience the harrowing reality of dangerous driving and the lasting impact it can have on people and communities.

Despite its success, the programme may be stopped as of next year, with a lack of funding available.

In previous years, the three councils all helped to fund the week-long project, but have since had to cut their contributions.

It is believed Falkirk would likely continue funding the show, should the others also do so, but, in the meantime, the group faces the prospect of having to self-fund the £23,000 initiative.

Alan Faulds, the local area liaison officer with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in Alloa and Stirling and chairman of the group said: “We know this programme works because there hasn’t been a road death within our target audience for six years.

“We’re not naive to think this programme is the only thing responsible for that, but you would be a fool to say it was not making a big contribution.

“It is hard-hitting. In some instances we have had pupils going home maybe a little upset, with parents calling up asking why we are doing this to their children.

“But we have never had a complaint from a parent that has seen it, because they get what we’re trying to do.”