Warwickshire welcomes Government proposals
Warwickshire County Council’s Road Safety Unit has welcomed Government proposals to introduce pre-driver training initiatives into secondary schools as part of the national curriculum.
The statement comes following Road Safety Minister, Stephen Ladyman’s recent comments on the high number of young drivers who are killed or seriously injured on the roads.
In September 2004, Warwickshire introduced a pioneering scheme called Driving Ambitions into secondary schools and around 16,000 pupils in 37 schools have already signed up to this initiative. It is designed to educate and encourage young drivers of the future to consider the consequences and impact their driving has on both themselves and other road users.
Stan Milewski, Senior Road Safety Officer from Warwickshire County Council, said: “We’re delighted that the Government have recognised the need to begin educating young people about driving whilst they are still in full-time education. We begin discussing driving issues with pupils as young as 12 and 13, so by the time they are ready for the pre-driver modules at 17, we hope they will have developed a good sense of the responsibilities required for driving.”
In October 2005 the scheme received the prestigious Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award in recognition of its contribution towards reducing casualties.
For further information about the Driving Ambitions Scheme, please contact Brian Pierce on 01926 418037.