Road safety education 'should be part of the national curriculum'

Date: 15/9/2010

Young people should be given compulsory education on how to drive safely in order to change attitudes towards motoring, an expert has claimed.

Julie Townsend, Deputy Chief Executive of road safety charity Brake, wrote in an article for the Guardian youngsters are one of the key groups that campaigns need to target.

A disproportionately high number of car accidents involve young drivers, she explained.

But Ms Townsend stated this could be reduced if road safety education was made compulsory as part of the national curriculum and a 'graduated driver licensing' system was introduced, in which youngsters build up their experience over time before being awarded a full licence.

"We believe that these combined measures would have a marked impact on the unacceptable level of deaths and serious injuries involving young drivers - and create a safer driving culture in future years," she commented.

Earlier this month, Donald Cowie - who lost his son in a car crash - told the Aberdeen Press and Journal young people can help save lives by making small changes to the way they drive.

Posted by Sarah Bailey