Courses mean MORE skills for young drivers
Young drivers from across Central Bedfordshire will have the opportunity to take courses to improve their driving knowledge and skills as part of an initiative designed to reduce road casualties.
Taking place in May, the MORE 16 and MORE Drive courses offer real-life experience to help young drivers stay safer on the road and are funded by Central Bedfordshire Council in partnership with their Highways Service provider Amey.
Three workshops, covering driving skills, maintenance and safety, will be run by vehicle inspectors and collision investigators from Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, Three Shires Driving School and the automotive testing and development track facilities at Millbrook in Bedfordshire.
The MORE 16 programme is aimed at 16 year-olds and their parents and gives young people their first taste of driving as well as giving guidance to parents on choosing a driving instructor and how to help their teens when practising. Parents attending even receive a high-speed passenger ride around a track with a Millbrook pro-driver with competition history in motorsport such as rallying or racing.
MORE Drive offers 17 to 24 year-olds, who have already passed their driving test, the chance to drive on a skid pan and experience ABS braking systems, as well as practising emergency stops at speed to demonstrate the distance it takes to stop at varying speeds.
Twenty-year-old Dani Page, who attended the MORE Drive course last year, said: "It was a great way to learn about real dangers on the road and how to deal with these situations when faced by them. I now have a greater knowledge of a wide range of hazards, how to control a car in a skid and in emergencies to what to do in the event of an accident.
"This knowledge was gained from hands on experience with professional drivers and demonstrations from Police collision investigators and the Fire and Rescue Service. It has changed the way I view things and given me an insight in how easily an incident can occur and what I could do to avoid any situation that I may encounter."
Dani was one of more than 170 young people from across Central Bedfordshire who took part in the MORE 16 and MORE Drive courses during the past year.
Councillor Budge Wells, Deputy Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services, said: “In Central Bedfordshire between 2009 and 2011, 32% of drivers and 43% of passengers killed or seriously injured were aged between 17 and 24. Young drivers are therefore one of our key priorities, and it would be wonderful if as many of our young people as possible could attend."
"I am delighted that demand for the courses last year was so high. The MORE programmes are a great way for our young people to learn new skills and improve their driving ability. We will be running the courses again on the 13 May, with 72 places available.”
The courses are free and are allocated on a first come, first served basis. For more information on either the MORE 16 or MORE Drive programmes, or to attend the events in May, email roadsafety@amey.co.uk.
For more details see links to leaflets below
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