New programme sets out to change young drivers’ attitudes to road safety

LRSC CARS AA

A new initiative which sets out to improve the safety of pre-drivers and newly qualified young drivers was presented to London Road Safety Council (LRSC) members at a meeting held earlier this week.

The C.A.R.S (Changing Attitude on Road Safety) programme – developed by the AA Driving School and the British School of Motoring (BSM) – presents road safety in a ‘contemporary and informative’ way, following feedback from schools, parents and young people highlighting a ‘lack of engagement and education’ around the issue of road safety.

C.A.R.S. encourages young people to discuss road safety issues, and then influence and change for the better their own behaviour – along with that of their peers and other family members – when using the road.

The initiative was presented to LRSC members* by the AA Driving School at a meeting held on 4 October (pictured).

The C.A.R.S website features four young people ‘that you don’t want to have teaching you anything to do with how you drive’. The four drivers are described as ‘reckless, dangerous, and most of all stupid’ for their driving behaviours.

C.A.R.S includes an ‘interactive and engaging ‘Fatal Four’ workshop’ which focuses on the ‘four main behaviours’ that contribute to young people being killed or seriously injured on UK roads: speeding, drinking and driving, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone while driving.

The C.A.R.S website says: “By attaching a personal element to these behaviours and combining the use of modern technology, interactive activities and social media, we want young people to engage with the characters to help influence them to improve their behaviour and prevent the dangerous consequences of their actions.

“Unlike other road safety workshops, the learning doesn’t stop there. The C.A.R.S programme uniquely enables the learning to carry over into real life experience with theory and hazard perception and practical driving modules.”

Students, teachers and parents are encouraged to use the C.A.R.S website and app to upload their own comments, photos, videos and stories relating to road safety and learning to drive.

*LRSC members can download the presentation from the members’ area of this website.


06 October 2017