A UK road safety scheme that teaches children to drive from the age of nine has delivered its 1.5 millionth lesson, marking a milestone in its mission to create a safer generation of motorists.
Young Driver®, which has been operating since 2009, runs realistic driving experiences for under-17s on private land at 70 venues across England, Scotland and Wales.
Since its inception, the scheme has hosted nearly 9,400 events and delivered more than 750,000 hours of tuition with the help of 430 Approved Driving Instructors and a fleet of dual-controlled cars.
Research showed that while one in five newly qualified drivers in the UK has an accident within the first six months of passing their test, that figure drops to just 3.4% among Young Driver alumni – an 84% reduction.
The milestone 1.5 millionth lesson was delivered at Young Driver’s Brierley Hill venue in the Midlands, with 10-year-old Taylor Deans from Wolverhampton behind the wheel.
His mother, Savhannah Deans, said: “I was blown away with how much he learnt. We booked in for an hour and he’s already desperate to come back.
“He’s already more aware of the road and how cars work, which is helpful as a pedestrian and cyclist.”
Young Driver provides a scaled-down but fully immersive driving environment, complete with junctions, roundabouts and parking areas.
Lessons are logged in a ‘Drive Diary’ to track progress, while children under nine can begin their motoring journey in an electric Firefly car.
Ian Mulingani, managing director of Young Driver, said: “Everything we do is about safety and helping young people realise the responsibility that comes with being behind the wheel.
“Practice really does make perfect, and the accident statistics for our past pupils prove this is a positive way to improve the safety of young people behind the wheel. But it’s still something they have fun doing.”
As well as helping younger drivers build road skills early, the programme also reduces the number of professional lessons needed when pupils reach the legal driving age.
Young Driver’s research found that alumni required 58% fewer lessons before passing their test, averaging just 19 compared to the national average of 45.
One in five Young Driver participants is aged 16 and looking to get a head start on road skills before turning 17. A further 19% are aged 17 or 18 and use the scheme to build confidence in a controlled environment.
Mulingani added: “There’s no pressure to pass a test or deal with aggressive road users.
“That solid grounding can make all the difference – helping those aspects become second nature, so that when young people do then take to the road, they can focus much more on the complexities of negotiating road systems and other road users.”
Young Driver recently added 170 new Suzuki Swifts to its fleet and offers a range of experiences including drives in classic cars, luxury models and even a fire engine.
The scheme is also the only driving school in the UK to offer carbon-negative driving lessons.
