Should children have driving classes in school?

A petition has claimed that driver safety classes should be added to the national curriculum.

Should children learn about driving in school?

A recent petition, that has won the support of large motoring organisations such as the RAC, Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and Association of British Insurers, has placed pressure on the government to add driving classes to the national curriculum.

Nearly 12% of people who are hurt or killed in a crash are aged 17–19. This is despite the fact that this age group only makes up for 1.5% of total licenced drivers.

This is the reason why young drivers pay high premiums on their car insurance.

Due to the increased risk of young drivers having an accident, a recent petition has suggested that driver safety classes should be introduced in schools, to give those approaching driving age the chance to understand important safety information, before they get on the road.

Jan James CEO of Good Egg Drivers agreed with the petition saying;

'we have recently run educational workshops with thousands of young people in schools and colleges and found an alarming lack of even the most basic knowledge among those currently learning to drive or just about to start.

'As a society we wring our hands about the unacceptably high number of young drivers and passengers killed and seriously injured every week yet do not equip them with even the most basic knowledge to make informed and safer choices. There's little point attaining great qualifications if they subsequently get killed in a collision. For these reasons we wholeheartedly support this important petition.'

Good Egg Drivers offers accessible tips for new drivers on important information such as choosing the best instructor, passing the tests, insurance, the responsibilities of getting behind the wheel and how to keep your licence once you have earned it.

Young Driver, a road safety organisation that provides young people with driver safety tuition before they hit the road, commissioned independent research into the results of their programmes. They found that former pupils were half as likely to be involved in an accident.

Kim Stanton from Young Driver explained that: ‘Evidence-based research shows that road safety messages are better absorbed by children in their early teens rather than at driving age.’

Lessons proposed by Young Driver include: