Young teenagers learning how to drive in Birmingham will get bumper lessons in road safety thanks to a new initiative, which aims to reduce the number of young driver road accidents.
The Driving Academy, developed by leading tyre manufacturer Goodyear, will be offered to youngsters taking part in the Young Driver pre-licence training events held at the NEC in Birmingham.
The scheme gives youngsters from the age of 11 the chance to learn about The Highway Code before putting their knowledge to the test in an online driving experience. It has already been successfully rolled out to more than 20 secondary schools; with the aim of ensuring youngsters have a better understanding of road safety before they get behind the wheel.
Kate Rock, consumer and brand PR manager for Goodyear, said: “We have worked very closely with Young Driver and it’s great that the Driving Academy will now be run at one of their venues. It is very much hoped that our initiative will help young drivers get rid of their bad reputation by adopting safer driving practices before they turn 17.
“Our approach is very much about prevention rather than cure – instead of placing restrictions on young drivers, which could simply delay bad behaviour, we are trying to address road-user attitudes and driving behaviour through education to fundamentally change the young driver experience for the better.”
Kim Stanton, head of operations at Young Driver, said: “We are delighted to bring the Driving Academy to the NEC. It will certainly add another dimension to the tuition our instructors currently provide.
“With one in five young people crashing within six months of passing their test, anything that reduces accidents among this age group has to be a good thing.”