A regional road safety educational scheme for learner drivers in the north west of England has been covered in a special feature broadcast on ITV Granada News on 26 September.
Organised by the Merseyside and Cheshire Road Safety Partnerships, Engage is a learner driver scheme for those aged between 17-24 years.
Participants are taught by an Engage driving instructor, all of whom have completed a training session which enables them to deliver road safety education. Using an Engage driving instructor is no more expensive than a normal ADI.
Engage ADIs use the ‘client-centred approach’ as advocated by the DVSA and explained in a training course for ADIs, developed and delivered by the Road Safety GB Academy.
Quarterly meetings and training sessions are provided for the scheme’s instructors, featuring guest speakers and industry experts to enhance their knowledge and skills.
Pupils are introduced to key road safety themes – such as the dangers of distraction and fatigue – by the instructor, in a video-based educational module delivered in-car via iPad.
The scheme is designed to help learner drivers develop skills and coping strategies to manage risks confidently and keep themselves, their passengers and other road users safe.
Engage learners can also access a free one-hour driving session for a nominated adult, to bring them up to speed with how learners are taught to drive. This session is designed to ensure that the private practice delivered by non-ADIs complements the driving instructor’s guidance.
There are also Engage lessons delivered in secondary schools that link direct to the modules taught in-car.
The new Engage website has purposely been kept very simple, with an introductory video on the welcome page which summarises the scheme.
The young driver collision risk
Statistics show young people aged 17-24 years account for around 7% of all licence holders in Great Britain – but are involved in about 20% of road collisions.
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