Initiative teaches learner drivers ‘essential decision-making skills’

The Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is working with approved driving instructors (ADIs) to educate young drivers around the risks of being distracted behind the wheel.

Statistics show that in 2021, distraction was a contributory factor in ten serious and one fatal collision across the county.

Distractions come in many guises, including the illegal use of handheld mobile phones, which is well publicised.

However, the partnership warns that changing the channel on the radio, chatting to a passenger, and having children in the car can all hinder concentration when driving.

It is encouraging drivers to follow a number of tips to avoid distractions, including:

• Turn off mobile phones and put them out of reach
• Keep the volume down and set the music playing before starting a journey
• Set the sat nav destination before leaving
• Stop to eat and drink
• Save in depth conversations for when the journey is over

Meanwhile, there is a call for passengers to allow drivers to concentrate on the road at all times and not to distract them.

To help teach learner drivers “essential decision-making skills”, the partnership has provided ADIs with resources from The Honest Truth initiative. 

The resources feature the use of animal heads to depict risky driving behaviours – and are being shown to pupils during their lessons.

Philip Seccombe, chair of Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, said: “Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is working with ADIs to educate young drivers around the risks of being distracted whilst driving.  

“This is because we know that a young driver’s risk of crashing increases by 12% for every passenger in the car.  

“As well as teaching a young person to drive, ADIs use The Honest Truth to also teach the essential decision-making skills that new drivers need to stay safe when first driving on their own.

“This initiative is one of many that we hope will help the partnership achieve the ambitious target of reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on Warwickshire’s roads by 50% by 2030.”

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