Safety first - advanced driving for new drivers

Kirsty Nunn, 18, of Earlston with her certificate from the IAM

But there a unique scheme aims to give new drivers intensive training – the equivalent of eight or nine years on the road – to help them cope with and survive the particular dangers posed by rural roads. The joint initiative between Scottish Borders Council, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and Police Scotland is also being supported by Galashiels motor dealer and former British Touring Car Champion, John Cleland. It is open to all newly-qualified drivers in the region, but is especially aimed at 17 to 26-year-olds.

Cleland personally financed an initial scheme which helped put 40 young drivers through training. That was followed by a pilot programme which successfully saw 19 drivers through the IAM’s test and now, thanks to £48,000 of funding from Borders Council, the scheme is about to be rolled out over the next two years to up to 350 drivers a year who’ve only just gained their licences. That represents about a third of all drivers passing their tests in the Borders.

Starting in September, 20 of them will take part in the four-week rolling programme of modules which will give them detailed training in roadcraft, defensive driving and observational skills along with practical experience on the road under the professional eye of IAM instructors. They then practise what they’ve learned before sitting the formal test.

In subsequent years, they’ll be monitored to check they’ve maintained their skills and whether the training has been translated into improved road safety.

The target is to reduce casualties among inexperienced drivers who  account for around 20 per cent of all accidents. More than a hundred people are killed or injured on Scottish Borders roads every year and government figures show that road accidents in the region cost around £36 million a year.

In Austria, it’s now compulsory for all new drivers to take advanced training and since it was introduced there, accidents have been cut by 50 per cent.

“It’s open to everyone, not just so-called boy racers,” says Sgt Brian Jones of Police Scotland, who’s been involved with the project since it first began two years ago, “Young motoring enthusiasts are very committed to their cars and regard them like the Crown Jewels but sometimes they can go too far and if they have an accident the consequences can be major.

“We’re also aiming at other young drivers like the ones who borrow their parents’ car at the weekend and have very little experience. It’s a golden  opportunity to reduce the casualty figures, and if just one life is saved, it will all have been worthwhile.”

Organisers are keen to get away from the perception of the staid “leather gloves and cloth cap” image which can be associated with the IAM – and that’s where racer John Cleland comes in.

He personally guides the candidates through stages of the programme, bringing his vast experience and skill which helped him compete in safety at high speed on the racetrack.

“It started with me supporting the first ten new drivers and it’s just grown from there,” he says. “Ideally I’d like to see the model we have here rolled out around the country. A fatal road accident costs more than a million pounds and for more minor accidents there are huge savings to be had for the NHS – apart from the huge cost in human terms to the families of those involved.”

The feedback from participants so far has been very positive. “They’ve all enjoyed it,” says Sgt Jones. “It’s been a real eye-opener for many of them.”

One driver passed the IAM test after only two weeks but the organisers admit that they are often preaching to the converted. The biggest challenge is to attract young, over-confident and perhaps arrogant drivers whose enthusiasm exceeds their ability.

One of the benefits of completing the course is discounted car insurance which can represent a significant saving for young car owners.

l Full details of the scheme are available on the Scottish Borders Council website at www.scot borders.gov.uk or by telephoning  0300 303 1134.