Road safety begins in education - Derry Motoring with Jim Mc Cauley

Northern Ireland, and in particular, the North-West, has led the way in providing pre-driving education in the GCSE, ‘Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies’. It was intensely developed in the 1970s when, with the exception of one year, deaths on our roads exceeded those of ‘The Troubles’.

Almost 50 years on, the course remains true to its original format, introducing students to practical moped riding (on school grounds) as one of the three units, along with an investigative study and external written exam. Its relevance is such that it remains one of the very few Northern Ireland GCSEs also adopted by schools in Britain. Unfortunately, it remains an option in a crowded secondary curriculum.

However, in all regions of Britain, this is taken a stage further with ‘Young Driver’, which as now delivered a landmark 1.5 million lessons to foster the next generation of drivers. The programme teaches people to drive from the age of nine, and is the largest scheme of its kind in the UK.

Research shows that teaching youngsters to drive over a longer period of time can help to improve the safety of drivers when they go on to pass their test. On average, one in five newly qualified drivers in the UK has an accident within the first six months of passing their test – but for ‘Young Driver’ students, that reduces to less than one in 25 (3.4%), an 84% reduction.

Having launched in 2009 at just one site, Young Driver now operates at 70 venues across England, Scotland and Wales. Over the 16 years the scheme has been operating, 9,384 events have taken place. Realistic road systems are created on private property, with roundabouts, junctions and areas to practice manoeuvres. Lessons are taught in dual controlled Suzuki Swifts or similar cars, by a roster of 430 Approved Driving Instructors.

Youngsters learn as they would on the road at 17, mastering the skills of clutch control, braking, steering and observation, with a drive diary tracking their progress. Under nines can even have a lesson in the specially created electric Firefly, a two seater car for younger children.

While children can begin learning from age nine, one in five of the scheme’s pupils is aged 16, and looking to ramp up their experience before lessons on the roads. ‘Young Driver’ research has shown that past pupils are likely to require 58 per cent fewer professional lessons on the road before passing their test. On average, they took only 19 professional lessons at 17 before they passed their test – a big reduction on the national average of 45 hours. A further 19% of pupils are aged 17 or 18, and are looking to build up their confidence in a safe and secure environment.

With the proven success of ‘Young Driver’, surely it is now reasonable to consider its adoption in Northern Ireland to complement the existing GCSE ‘Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies’ course currently available here.