On the road to success
It has been a long and winding road for the Press and Journal’s Young Driver of the Year contestants. As the first six finalists are announced, Caroline Brodie looks back at what these young motorists have had to do to get this far
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SEVEN weeks ago, the Press and Journal launched a major three-month road safety campaign aimed at raising driving standards and cutting the shocking toll of death on our roads.
The campaign, dominated by the Young Driver of the Year competition, was launched after figures showed that one in three fatal road accidents in Scotland last year involved young people under the age of 25.
It attracted more than 100 entries from young motorists from Helmsdale to Blairgowrie, all desperate to boost their skills and drive away in a new Seat Ibiza.
Since then, both their theoretical and practical skills have been put to the test in this tough driving contest.
The first hurdle was a test of their knowledge of the Highway Code, including 20 questions selected by Grampian Police and designed to get everyone thinking and thumbing through their copy of the code.
Entrants were also asked what they thought should be done to reduce the toll of death and injury among young drivers on our roads and came up with a raft of ideas, including night curfews, skid-pan training, limits on the number of passengers they can carry and restrictions on engine size and speed.
The 25 top scoring entrants went through to the semi-final, at which point they were invited out for an assessment drive with a member of the IAM.
The IAM assessors judged the semi-finalists on 10 categories – including use of clutch and gears, steering and observation skills – as well as providing a snapshot of their general abilities, with an emphasis on car control, concentration and confidence.
The top 12 will now be invited to take part in a thrilling driving day at the home of Scottish motorsport at Knockhill, in Fife, on Wednesday, May 14, where they will face a series of driving challenges on road and track under the expert tutelage of driving instructors from both Knockhill’s Centre for Driver Excellence and Grampian Police.
The driver who does best on the day will be crowned Young Driver of the Year at the Taste of Grampian Motor Show in June, when he or she will drive away in the top prize – a new Seat Ibiza Sport.
But none of our finalists will go away empty-handed. As well as a free day at Knockhill, including lunch, they will each receive a Skills for Life package from the IAM, which offers associate membership, free books and magazines and entry to the advanced driving test, a 2nd gear driving experience package from Knockhill worth £149, and a £50 Halfords voucher.
