Young Rutland drivers to benefit from life-saving safety courses
It's aimed at reducing fatalities and serious casualties on our roads
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, Rupert Matthews (Con), has announced the launch of a pre-test safety course for young drivers.
Aimed at reducing fatalities and serious casualties on the area’s roads the ‘Pathfinder’ educational programme is an intensive, one-week driving course for 15 to 17-year-olds.
The young drivers, alongside their parents/guardians, will learn to increase their skills, confidence and competence with a motor vehicle before they venture on to the roads.
The innovative scheme targets young drivers who are most at risk within their first year of driving and aims to create a new generation of safer minded and better-trained drivers.
The Police and Crime Commissioner will be part-funding the courses, expected to be held during the summer months, with drivers contributing a small fee to undertake the course.
Bursary support will also be available to promote inclusivity and remove any barriers young people may face accessing the course.
New figures show excess speed, or the inability to correctly judge others’ speed, are strong contributory factors in collisions involving young people across the force area.
Launching the new project, Mr Matthews said: “I am serious about protecting young drivers from the risks they face in their first year on the road. This will be the first time a course of this length will be offered to young people in the East Midlands area and promises to leave a deep and meaningful impact on participants – hopefully influencing their decision-making long after they have passed their tests.
“The Pathfinder programme supports my ‘prevention over cure’ approach and captures young people early enough to instil a stronger sense of responsibility and awareness of their driving behaviour on other roads users while honing the practical skills needed to reduce the risk of injury. By involving parents and guardians on the course, it also helps to build trust and confidence in their driving abilities right from the start.
“Young people who have completed the course have been statistically proven to be less likely to be involved in an accident. I am determined to make our roads here in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland the safest in the country. This safety project is part of a whole raft of improvements I am funding to achieve this ambition.”
Over five days, students learn core driving skills, driving and road safety theory, dealing with peer pressure, road risk and safety practise, advanced driving appreciation, essential car control, manoeuvring, brake and avoid and speed awareness.
The Pathfinder programme is the only pre-licence under 17 driving training course accredited by ‘IAMRoadsmart’.