A young boy sits in a wheelchair reading a letter.

It is an emotional plea from his brother, begging to see him. The letter was sent from prison, where his brother is serving a sentence for causing death and injury by dangerous driving after a night in the pub. The car crash injured his brother, leaving him wheelchair-bound, and killed his brother’s girlfriend.

The scene is being played out on stage at St Bede’s Catholic School in Highgate. Part of a mini-play called New Wheels, it is performed by members of Liverpool-based Tiny Giants Theatre Company who present dramas based on real-life stories to secondary school pupils across the North of England.

It was commissioned by Bradford Council’s Road Safety Team to convey important safety messages surrounding dangerous driving, driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, wearing seatbelts and driver distraction.

Road crashes are the single biggest killer of young people in the UK and worldwide. Young drivers are involved in one in four fatal and serious crashes, despite making up only one in eight driver licence holders.

There is a wealth of research and casualty figures showing that young drivers – particularly young male drivers – are at a much higher risk of crashing than older drivers. They are therefore more at risk of losing their lives or being seriously injured on the road, often killing or injuring their young passengers or other road users.

Between 2008 and 2012 in the Bradford district, there were 2,809 casualties aged between 17 and 25 either killed, seriously or slightly injured. This is the second highest total in West Yorkshire, behind Leeds with 3,819. In Bradford in 2012, 69 drivers and passengers were killed or seriously injured.

Says Huma Boskani, senior road safety officer with Bradford Council: “With young people of this age it is a case of looking for the most effective ways to get them to think about their behaviour. Drama can be a good way of communicating important messages. This one shows how dangerous driving has devastated family life.”

The performance is free to schools, who organise visits through the road safety team. “It is such an important part of their learning,” says Huma. “So many young people are killed or injured as drivers, passengers or pedestrians, and many are influenced by their peers. The pupils are seeing a drama based on something that actually happened – how it affected their family and how things are never the same again. It is sad and thought-provoking. It makes you laugh and cry.”

Most importantly, she adds: “It makes young people think about how quickly your life can change as a result of something like this.”

Fifteen-year-old pupils Spencer Booth and Louis Eloi were among those watching. “It shows how terrible the effects can be of driving too fast and of not fastening your seat belt,” says Spencer, who afterwards was given a pair of special glasses to wear which had the effect of making him feel very drunk.

Adds Louis: “It shows how important it is not to be influenced by peer pressure and, if you are driving, to think before you have a drink.”

Ben Snape, head of Year 11 at the school, says: “Some of these young people are going to be driving in a couple of years time. This raises awareness of how dangerous cars can be – that they are not toys.

“Bradford has quite a bad reputation for car driving. This is a good age to make them realise how careful they need to be. The performance is hard-hitting so hopefully they will think twice.”

He adds: “The road outside school is busy, with shops opposite, so it may help them think about care needed as a pedestrian, too.”

The theatre company also perform at further education establishments. The drama recently provoked a discussion among students at Keighley College. “It gets them to think about these issues, which is what we are trying to achieve,” says Huma.

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council’s executive member for transport, says: “We must all do what we can to reduce the number of casualties in this vulnerable group. Each and every one of these incidents has caused heartache, pain, loss and untold suffering.

“Raising awareness and educating young people through a thought-provoking drama will hopefully prompt young people to think about their own behaviour as passengers and future drivers – particularly as many of these incidents can be prevented.”

Schools interested in the workshops should contact Bradford Council’s Road Safety Team on 01274 437409.