Ian McIntosh’s steer on RED in The Daily Mail
Published today, our very own Ian McIntosh interviewed by The Daily Mail – here are the highlights!
As well as admitting to being ‘more of a biker’, Ian spoke to the Mail‘s Rob Davies about some of the changes to the RED Business over the past few years, and the challenges new policy could pose for a new learners and ADIs.
When speaking about the fortunes of the RED business there were some positives and negatives to be discussed, such as the financial and personnel cost of previous decisions as well as the more positive news of a turn-around of the RED business in recent months.
Ian also mentioned other RED initiatives such as a new franchise deal in which pupil levels are guaranteed and of course the very successful Road Brain Trainer which helps pupils to not just pass their test but also makes them safer drivers.
For those of you who aren’t clear on the Road Brain trainer tool, free for RED learners as well as ADIs, the tool allows more ‘road time’ with a range of specially designed courses – all adding up to a better chance (14% increase in studies) at passing the driving test.
Careful at times to speak for himself, rather than for RED, Ian said this of the wider societal as well as policy changes:
“For my generation it was 17th birthday, straight out on the road. Not any more. Recession, university fees, the cost of insurance…you wait until you can afford it.
Political intervention hasn’t been much help…government plans to force pupils to do 100 hours of lessons before taking their test, compared to the current average of 47, risk deterring people from learning.
If you have to take 100 hours, that’s a lot of money. I’m not sure that would be a good thing.”
Without a doubt there are, as Ian says “bumps in the road ahead” for the industry as a whole, though RED is well placed to improve both learner and ADI education.
Involving himself in this conversation in the past, with a view to effecting positive change outside of the world of RED Driving School, last year Ian joined the inGenie’s road safety conference, where road safety experts and campaigners gathered to discuss what could be done to improve younger driver’s road safety.
Read the full story here on The Daily Mail
