Driving home the message to young people in Central Bedfordshire

Posted on January 19, 2012

Teenagers can have a bad reputation when it comes to cars - some drive too fast and they haven't got the experience of more mature motorists.

But two new courses aimed at giving young drivers the skills they need before they venture onto the area's roads could change all that.

Supported by Central Bedfordshire Council in partnership with their Highways Contractor Amey, the courses will be running in January and March.

Having already proved popular in the past, the MORE 16 and MORE Drive programmes target young people in Central Bedfordshire , aged between 16 and 24 and offer three workshops on driving skills, maintenance and safety before they start learning to drive.

The workshops are run by vehicle inspectors and collision investigators from Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, Three Shires Driving School and Bedford's Millbrook proving ground and offer real-life experience from professionals at the top of their field.

The MORE 16 programme, which will be running on Saturday 28 January and Saturday 3 March, is aimed at 16 year-olds and offers them their first taste of driving on a Millbrook track. The course also offers guidance to parents on choosing a driving instructor and how to help their teens when practising. As an incentive for parents to attend, they receive a high-speed passenger ride around a track with a Millbrook pro-driver with competition history in motorsport such as Rallying or Racing.

The MORE Drive programme, which will run on Sunday 29 January and Sunday 4 March, offers 17 to 24 year-olds, who have 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.

Elliott Viola, who has already taken part in a course, said: "What will stay with me is what not to do while driving - like speeding, drinking alcohol, or being on a mobile phone - and making sure that you are in charge, not someone else trying to influence you."

Councillor Budge Wells, Deputy Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services, said: "These programmes offer a fantastic opportunity for young people to learn new skills and improve their driving ability.

"I'm delighted that we can offer these opportunities across Central Bedfordshire. Having attended MORE Drive, I have seen how much everyone took away with them and hope we have even more young people attend the future events."

For more information on either the MORE 16 or MORE Drive programmes, or to attend events next year, email [email protected].

Source: Ringmaster Bedfordshire