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Eleven Or Older? Then You Can Legally Drive A Car.

Eleven Or Older? Then You Can Legally Drive A Car.

A number of courses exist in the UK for fledgling drivers who are too young for a provisional licence. The idea is to promote road safety

Mischa Pearlmen

Mischa Pearlmen

Driving is, for a large number of people, an important rite of passage, and getting your licence can be as monumental as, erm, losing your virginity. And probably more rewarding and enjoyable, as you've had plenty of practice behind the wheel by the time you finally take your test. Unlike sex, which you're just winging for the very first time.

Anyway, dodgy analogy aside, it's now possible for children as young as 11 to get behind the wheel and start learning to drive with specialized youth driver training, which is much better than turning 17 and having your Da screaming at you in fear the whole time, believe me.


via GIPHY

They can't, of course, drive on the road - that would just be chaos - but any youngster between 11 and 16 who's desperate to get behind the wheel and practice their emergency stops can do so on a controlled track or private car park.

That means that, years before they actually take their test and use real roads, young drivers can learn simple manoeuvres and have fun - if that's the right word - navigating their way through scenarios you'd encounter on the real roads, like artificial traffic, junctions and roundabouts.

There are actually a whole bunch of different courses that youngsters can take if they're 11 and older. YoungDrive!, for example, offers track lessons for kids where, on a closed circuit with an instructor, they'll learn gear changing, clutch control and steering at speeds of up 50mph.


via GIPHY

Of course, it's perfectly legal for parents to teach their children the basics of driving at any age, as long as they're on private land - but having a proper instructor is probably a lot safer (and less terrifying for the parent, too).

While it might seem reckless to be putting such young kids behind the wheel, the main thought behind it is one of safety.

Road safety charity IAM Roadsmart is calling for young driver programmes to be introduced in schools, going as far to want theory and hazard perception testing included in the National Curriculum.

The thought is that teaching basic skills before they are able to get a provisional licence will help to reduce the number of fatal accidents involving drivers in the 17-24 age bracket.


"For a young person getting behind the wheel years before they can legally take to the road is a one-off opportunity," said Shaun Cronin,IAM regional quality manager.

"But this is about having fun too - our members get the opportunity to spend their Sundays driving a wide variety of cars, lorries and buses - and even learning advanced skills on a race track.

"The bottom line is this: working together with the IAM, the Under 17 Car Club can prevent a lot of crashes and, hopefully, we can save young lives."

Featured Image Credit: Fox

Topics: Driving, UK, Cars