New bursary scheme aimed at young drivers along the East Coast – find out more about the road safety programme here

The Under 17 Car Club Charitable Trust has announced the scheme to enable young people from East and North Yorkshire to take part in its innovative ‘Pathfinder Initiative’ pre-licence driving and road safety programme.

The scheme is designed to help reduce the rate of death and serious injury arising from road traffic collisions involving young people.

The funding has been provided by Safer Roads Humber supporting young people from East Yorkshire and North East Lincs while The Under 17 Car Club Charitable Trust is matching that funding for young people from all other areas of Yorkshire.

A spokesman said: “The Pathfinder initiative is for rising 17s (15-17). It takes the Under 17 Car Club philosophy and methodology and compresses these into an intensive, exciting and high impact four or five-day programme blending learning with fun to deliver key messages about road safety, risk awareness and safe attitudes.

“The value of each bursary is not less than £180, sometimes more, enabling over more than 60 young people to benefit from a bursary each year.

“The focus of eligibility of these bursaries is typically low income, single parent families, or for young people with learning or health challenges.

“Participation in Pathfinder reduces the first year of driving accident risk to 5% compared with more than 20% nationally (DfT). Our survey, validated by Loughborough University, shows that graduates of the Pathfinder initiative are significantly less likely to be involved in accidents or to be injured than the general population of young drivers.”

More information about the bursary scheme can be found at www.under17driver.co.uk

Click here to visit the website.