First gear for wannabe drivers in Central Beds

Teenage drivers? Does your blood run cold? Well maybe with early training and road familiarisation they could soon be knights of the highway. See the following opportunity

Sign up for last few places on teenage driving courses

Central Bedfordshire Council sent this bulletin at 09-09-2013 02:43 PM BST

Young drivers from across Central Bedfordshire and Luton will have the opportunity to take courses to improve their driving knowledge and skills as part of an initiative designed to reduce road casualties.  The last few places for MORE 16 and MORE Drive courses in September are up for grabs. They offer real-life experiences to help young drivers stay safer on the road. The courses are funded by Luton Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council, with delivery organised by Amey.  The courses run on 22 September. There are limited places left on the courses which are free and are allocated on a first come, first served basis to 16 to 24 year olds living in Central Bedfordshire and Luton. To sign up email roadsafety@amey.co.uk MORE 16 is aimed at 16 year-olds to provide their first experience of driving. Parents are encouraged to participate to receive advice on choosing a driving instructor and how to help their teens when practising. A high-speed passenger ride with a Millbrook pro-driver with competition history in motorsport such as rallying or racing is available to all parents that attend.  MORE Drive offers 17 to 24 year olds, who have already passed their driving test, the chance to drive on a skid pan and experience ABS braking systems, as well as practising emergency stops at speed to demonstrate varying stopping distances.  Five workshops, covering driving skills, maintenance, what to look for when buying a used car and distractions and safety, will be run by the local authorities, Bedfordshire Police and Three Shires Driving School.  Councillor Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities, Services at Central Bedfordshire Council said: "The MORE 16 and MORE Drive courses are really, really popular and we have had great feedback from them. We’re committed to reducing accidents where young people are killed or seriously injured and this education focus is working well. If you want one of the last few places, sign up quickly!"  Alex Constantinides, Head of Engineering and Street Services at Luton Borough Council, said: "MORE 16 and MORE Drive are a great way for our young people to learn new skills and improve their driving ability. It would be wonderful if as many of our young drivers as possible could attend.