The Castle Combe circuit is joining forces with a local entrepreneur to launch an initiative designed to give 13–16 year olds a taste of driving before they begin lessons.
The team has joined forces with Mike Williams to set up a driving school at Castle Combe, near Chippenham in Wiltshire. Mr Williams has already developed a training programme which has been taking to schools across the region, but has been hampered by the space available in playgrounds.
The new initiative will be launched to the press on 31 August. For more information contact Lucy on 01249 782417.
My wonder is what will be taught that can’t be on a large area of tarmac.
As a frequent motorcyclist I am aware of numerous racing circuits and individuals that make money advising riders on racing techniques.
How they use these techniques on the road is another matter as I don’t believe that, apart from a few pieces of useful advice, racing training has anything to do with street riding… legal street riding anyway.
There are a few exceptions and they are few and far between, where a lot of training is given to road matters and I think that’s great.
I don’t think that 13yrs olds should be taught how to drive as they have some time before they can legally be on the road. Recently one large motorcycle manufacturer sponsored 5yr olds to ride motorcycles. My comments are on that subject and the same applies to this one.
Bob Craven, Lancs
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Oh no…not again? How many times must it be said that early exposure to off-road pre-driver training leads to – at best – no improvement in post-test collision risk, and sometimes increases the risk. Twenty years of research shows this, as summarised in TRL Insight Report INS0005 “How Can We Produce Safer New Drivers?’ Giving the benefit of the doubt, I’m sure the ‘local entrepreneur’ and the race circuit managers are honourable in their intent, but we must stop promoting road safety interventions based on intuition rather than evidence.
Mike Mounfield, Birmingham
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