Call for schools to teach driving
An early driver education programme is continuing with its campaign to get driving on the school curriculum. A competition has been launched to offer four secondary schools the chance to win a Young Driver at School event for up to 60 children, to show the impact early tuition can have on youngsters.
Young Driver is Britain’s largest provider of under-17 driving tuition, having delivered 275,000 lessons from its 41 nationwide training centres and run events at over 130 schools. It can offer tuition to anyone over the age of 10.
The scheme is currently heading up a campaign to have driving added to the school curriculum, in a bid to cut down the high accident rate for young drivers. One in five new drivers in the UK has an accident within six months of passing their test and road traffic accidents account for 25 per cent of the deaths of 15-19 year olds in the UK, compared to just 0.5 per cent of the overall adult population. Every year 400 people are killed in accidents involving young drivers.
A petition has been launched to ask the government to add driving and road safety to the curriculum, which has already gained backing from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the RAC, the Driving Instructors Association (DIA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain (MSA), Admiral, Goodyear and Quentin Willson, motoring presenter and expert.
The Young Driver at School competition is open to any private or state secondary school/academy based in Great Britain and includes either 30 half an hour or 60 fifteen minute lessons, and a road safety classroom session from a qualified Advanced Driving Instructor. Driving lessons can usually take place within the grounds of a school, in a dual control car with one of Young Driver’s specially trained instructors.
To enter please visit www.youngdriver.eu/schoolcompetition
To add your signature to the petition to introduce driving within the school curriculum please visit: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/104632
