Comment on the Brake and Direct Line Statistics Released 22nd May

Ian McIntosh, CEO at RED Driving School

Minimum learning to drive period

Today Brake and Direct Line released statistics suggesting that there should be a minimum learning to drive period. Commenting on the research, Ian McIntosh, CEO at RED Driving School said: “As a national driving school, RED believes that the issue is not how long a young person spends learning to drive but the quality of lessons and the quality of assessment.

“Some of our students quickly learn a safe driving style and due to the financial burdens on young people today, they should not be forced to spend more than necessary on driving tuition. Driving instructors are trained to assess when a pupil is test ready. Learners should be monitored on an individual basis and not be penalised for trying hard to achieve a good standard of driving.

“That said, there is a definite need to reduce road accidents involving young people and novice drivers. At RED, we have recognised that cognitive skill development is essential to create better, safer drivers in the long term. Research has shown that the part of the brain that assesses risk and anticipates danger doesn’t fully develop until a young person reaches 25. As a result, driving schools should look to develop ways to train this mental ability alongside practical driving tuition. At RED, we have introduced RED’s Road Brain Trainer which does exactly that, training young people on how to deal with hazards and distractions on the road.”