WOULD-BE drivers as young as 15 are again being given the chance to get behind the wheel of a car – legally – in a scheme being run by Nottinghamshire County Council.
The pre-driver training experience for pupils between the ages of 15 and 17 is being offered as part of the Council’s ongoing programme of education for young people in a bid to cut road traffic casualties in the county.
The County Council has been holding the sessions for several years now during school holidays and they are proving to be sell-out events.
The latest one-day sessions are being held during the October half-term holiday at the Elizabethan Academy in Retford (Wednesday, October 29) and the Nottingham Forest football ground (Friday, October 31).
The sessions run from 9am until 4pm, are open to all 15-17 year-olds who live or are educated in Nottinghamshire and costs £35. Pupils don’t need a provisional driving licence as the training takes place away from the public highway
Spaces are limited so booking is essential and will be taken on a first come, first served basis. Bookings can be made by phoning 0300 500 8080.
“This course gives young people their first experience behind the wheel of a car in a safe, controlled, environment with fully qualified driving instructors,” said Coun Kevin Greaves, chairman of the County Council’s transport and highways committee.
“Research shows that young people form and crystallise their driving attitudes well before they actually take to the road themselves, so it’s important that they receive the right message from the right people.”
As well as two hours in-car training, the pre-driver training days also include advice on how to choose a good driving instructor and workshops on the responsibilities that come with being a driver, including the effects – and repercussions – of drink or drugs on a person’s driving abilities.
There will also be practical demonstrations of safe stopping distances and cornering techniques.