01 Aug 2018 Shepparton News, Shepparton VIC (General News) Abandoned vehicles are being saved from the scrap yard and given another lease on life. Cars ditched on freeways and highways are being used by Victorias State Emergency Service in the states north-east for training exercises. The partnership between VicRoads and the SES will put unclaimed vehicles to use in rescue simulations. VICSES often struggled to find modern vehicles to use for training, a government statement read. On a visit to Benalla this week, Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the vehicles would be used by the 24 road crash units which respond to incidents. She said they would help volunteers learn valuable skills, such as how to access road crash victims quickly and remove them safely. Teams typically used the cars to practise using the jaws of life and other equipment, she said. Were glad to play a small role in helping our SES volunteers train and protect our community and ultimately save lives, Ms Symes said. Putting these unclaimed vehicles to good use makes sense, rather than ending up on the scrap heap. This is also a great example of our government agencies VicRoads and SES working together to save lives. VICSES north-east regional manager Keith OBrien said the nuisance cars, which might have otherwise been turned into scrap metal, could help to improve volunteer training and ultimately help save lives on Victorian roads. Abandoned vehicles that are removed from arterial roads and are unclaimed after all reasonable attempts to contact the owner, including a 14-day written notice period, can be acquired by VicRoads pursuant to the Road Management Act 2004.