Parents back putting driving on the school curriculum

Sixty-five per cent of parents and grandparents have said they felt driving should be on the school curriculum, according to a survey by  pre-17 driver training scheme provider Young Driver.

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, said: “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.”