RAC supports Young Driver call for the Government to add driving to the school curriculum

RAC spokesman Simon Williams says: “As the motorist’s champion, the RAC is committed to making our roads safer for everyone and we support the call for the Government to add driving to the school curriculum. Official data from the Department for Transport shows that young drivers aged 16-19 are sadly more than twice as likely to die in a crash as drivers aged 40-49. We believe that educating and engaging children from an early age can help to prepare them for the road ahead, and bringing motoring into the classroom could inspire a new wave of confident, clued-up young motorists and bring down the worryingly high casualty rate amongst younger drivers.

“Research from our 2014 Report on Motoring highlighted that on the roads, the most at risk age group is 11 to 12-year olds who are invariably walking to school on their own, perhaps for the first time. Our very own child road safety mascot, Horace Champion, was created to help address this by promoting a safer environment for all road users. Ultimately, teaching more young children to identify potential hazards on the roads is a step towards saving more lives, as one life lost is too many.”