- Pre-17 driver tuition could help reduce the accident rate through better education
- MPs, headteachers and motoring institutions give their backing to the idea
Young driver safety is a topic rarely out of the headlines, with tragic collisions still too common an occurrence.
Various solutions have been discussed and whilst graduated driving licences have been seriously considered, the government has confirmed they won’t be implementing them.
One driver training scheme is proposing a new idea which it believes could have a significant impact on young driver safety – getting driving on the school curriculum. It’s an idea backed by others, including MPs, Headteachers, The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAMRoadsmart) and Suzuki GB.
Young Driver, the UK’s largest pre-17 driver training scheme, asked 2,700 parents and grandparents if they felt driving should be on the school curriculum – and two thirds (65%) felt it should.
“We also asked if parents supported the idea of a graduated licence,” said Adrian Harding, who now works for Young Driver but was previously a senior teacher. “Whilst the majority (67%) did agree with it in some form, one in four (23%) said they thought with proper education, it wouldn’t be so necessary. Having delivered more than 1.5 million pre-17 driving lessons in the UK, we have seen first-hand the difference they can make to young driver safety. We take driving lessons into schools through our Foundation and the feedback is staggering.”
In the UK, one in five newly qualified drivers has a crash within the first six months after passing their test. However, research with 450 of Young Driver’s past pupils showed them to be 84 per cent less likely to have an accident in that critical first six months than the national average, at only 3.4%.
Caroline Nokes MP for Romsey and Southampton North, commented: “Having seen Young Driver in action at their Barton Stacey site, I was incredibly impressed by the way it equips young people with vital driving skills and road safety awareness well before they reach 17. We know the accident statistics for young drivers need improvement, and these programmes can really help. The Young Driver Foundation has been running programmes in schools, and I am sure if included in the curriculum it could help to save lives and reduce collisions on our roads.”
Euan Stainbank, MP for Falkirk, visited a Young Driver event in his constituency. He added: “It is essential that safe driving education is supplemented by safe instruction by trained professionals and the opportunity to do it before the age of 17 can only enhance the safety of a newly qualified driver.”
Having spent 16 years teaching nine to 17 year-olds how to drive on private property, Young Driver ran 109 school events in the previous 12-months, equating to 4,500 pupil lessons, through its not-for-profit arm, the Young Driver Foundation. Lessons focus on safety and responsibility, helping youngsters get to grips with the basics of driving a car before they get anywhere near a real road. Some lessons are in the scheme’s Firefly Sport electric cars, which have been specially designed for four to nine-year olds.
Adrian Harding, who heads up the Young Driver Foundation, continued: “The younger they begin, the more seriously they take the safety side of things. Eight out of 10 of the parents (82%) that we surveyed agree that children are more receptive to road safety concepts at an earlier age. Learning to be a good driver takes time, patience and experience. And to make it accessible to all, school is the best place to facilitate that. This is something we’d like to see the government really consider if they’re serious about young driver safety.”
Jo Lawrence is Vice Principal at Joseph Chamberlain 6th Form College, in Birmingham, which has had the Young Driver Foundation delivering lessons to pupils. She commented: “Too many young lives are lost on our roads each year. Giving students the chance to learn about safe driving helps equip them with vital skills and awareness that could one day save lives. We would very much welcome seeing this kind of opportunity available more widely in schools and colleges.”
Young Driver offers anyone aged nine or over and more than 1.4 metres tall the chance to get behind the wheel of a dual controlled Suzuki Swift, or similar car, with a qualified ADI driving instructor. Those aged four to nine-years can drive the electric Firefly Sport. Lessons take place on private land, including school grounds, which are developed into a realistic road system complete with road signs, junctions and car parks. For more information, go to www.youngdriver.com