Young Driver Programme wins national award

AN initiative which encourages young people in Carmarthenshire to be responsible drivers has won a national road safety award.

The Young Driver Programme won a Silver Award in the Education and Training Initiative category in the First Car Young Driver Road Safety Awards 2016.

Now in its second year, the awards recognise the efforts of road safety professionals to reduce casualties among young drivers.

The Young Driver Programme is delivered by council road safety officer Lyn Morris and was shortlisted with 10 other initiatives from across the UK.

Suitable for pre-drivers, learners, and newly qualified drivers and their passengers, the programme is delivered usually within the PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), the Welsh Baccalaureate and / or tutorial lessons in county schools and colleges over the course of the academic year.

There are between six and eight modules looking at various subjects from buying a car and in-car safety to be being first on the scene of an accident and illegal driving.

Executive Board Member for Transport Cllr Hazel Evans said: “The Young Driver Programme is an excellent initiative and I would like to congratulate Lyn and the road safety team for all their efforts to educate young drivers in Carmarthenshire. With better understanding should come better attitude and increased compliance, that our young people can become confident, competent drivers and responsible car owners.”

The awards were sponsored by Road Safety Support (RSS) and were held at the Young Driver Focus Conference at the RAC Club in London, presented by James Evans, founder of FirstCar, and Med Hughes, executive director of Road Safety Support.

CAPTION: Council road safety officer Lyn Morris delivering the Young Driver Programme to first year level 3 ICT students at Llanelli‘s Coleg Sir Gâr Graig campus.