GRAPHIC pictures of road smash victims and mocked-up videos of fatal crashes are being used to shock drivers out of breaking the law.

Motorists caught not wearing seatbelts or using their mobile phones can attend a course to avoid penalty points and a fine.

The course features horrific pictures of car crashes in East Lancashire and videos which have been banned in the UK as they are too graphic.

The hard-hitting pilot scheme aims to hammer home the message about the dangers of the drivers' actions.

Police in marked and unmarked cars stopped 30 drivers on roads in Burnley and Padiham as part of Operation Peardrop on Wednesday.

Of 30 offenders, 29 chose to attend the course held at Burnley Fire Station the next day.

And as they were shown the clips, there were gasps of shock from the audience and people turned away from the screen.

PC Nigel Keates said: “It is very hard-hitting and we find it really does affect people and it enforces that safety message.

“It is not about making money but educating people and changing habits. Everybody has an excuse for using their mobile phone or driving without a seatbelt, but it doesn’t matter what the reason is, the risk is exactly the same, people’s lives are being put at risk.

“We have one chance to educate and change the mindset of these drivers so it has to make a strong impact and be hard-hitting, it is really impactive on people.”

After the course the motorists are asked to fill in anonymous evaluation forms to allow the police to gain feedback.

Some of the videos shown are banned from being used in adverts on UK TV, but are shown in Ireland and Australia, where the laws are more relaxed.

Neil Ashworth, watch manager at Burnley Fire Station, runs the course.

He said: “A lot of the people that come work and we don’t spend lots of time with them so it has to be dramatic and make an impact.

“We also make it local and show images of local crashes. It makes it more real and makes it a local topic. They see the consequences for people.

“From the feedback we have got it has changed attitudes.”

One of the drivers who took the course, who did not wish to be named, said: “You can talk about road safety until you are blue in the face but it is only by seeing these videos that people’s attitudes will change.

“I think they should be shown on TV and it would make a big difference.”

PC Keates added: “At the moment it is a pilot with the Burnley Safety Partnership and is being run in Burnley and Pendle.

“I don’t know what other areas do but we have got good feedback so it could become more common.”

Motoring charity the RAC Foundation backed the course and said it can change attitudes among drivers.

Elizabeth Box, head of research at the RAC Foundation, said: “A number of police forces throughout the country run targeted enforcement campaigns on seatbelt and mobile phone usage and the drivers who opt to attend education courses instead of receiving penalty points often say that the course made them stop and think.

“Research has shown that education on its own is not always effective at changing people’s behaviour, but where education courses are given instead of penalty points there has been more success in changing people’s attitudes, which points to the value of running this sort of campaign.”