Agenda item

Presentation by Chief Inspector Andy McLean, with input from Mr J. Clelland, seeking employers’ support for a course for young drivers.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Chief Inspector Andy McLean – Police Local Area Commander, Mr John Cleland – ex-British Touring Car Champion and local businessman, and Mr James MacFarlane – Young Driver and member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, who were present to give a presentation on the “Skills for Life” driving course aimed at young drivers.  Mr MacFarlane, one of the young drivers who had passed the course, advised that his training had taken place over 4 separate days in March and April 2015, using instructors from the Institute of Advanced Motorists, and he had noticed a marked improvement in his driving skills since then.  ‘Skills for Life’ was aimed at 17 to 26 year old drivers and was about correcting habits and picking up skills which then became natural.  Chief Inspector McLean advised that driving was the biggest single killer of young people in the UK.  Every day in the UK, 23 young people (under the age of 25) were killed or seriously injured in vehicles.  Most of these collisions were caused by bad driving – not the vehicle, the road, or the conditions.  In 2014/15 in the Scottish Borders, 54 collisions involving young drivers had resulted in injury or a fatality.  Since April 2015, there had been 11 fatal or injury collisions involving young drivers.  Research conducted by Brunel University in London had shown that 70% of drivers who received advanced coaching showed significantly safer skills in a number of key areas, including speed, safe distances, observations, cornering, gear changing, seating position, and use of mirrors.  The initiative offered advanced driver training for young drivers, allowing them to complete the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ ‘Skills for Life’ advanced driving course and becoming a qualified advanced driver. The course cost £149 and that amount was refunded to drivers once they had passed, so essentially the course was free.  Chief Inspector McLean was looking for help from partners to publicise the course and/or consider providing their employees with time off to complete the course during working hours.  Mr Cleland spoke of the current driving test being out of date, in that it did not test all aspects of driving such as overtaking, motorway driving, driving in the dark, or driving in winter conditions.  Businesses needed to be aware – often new employees would be trained in how to operate machinery, but not how to drive vehicles as part of their employment.  The idea behind the initiative was that young drivers were more receptive to learning – 750 young drivers passed their tests in the Borders each year.  SBC Depute Chief Executive (People), Mrs Jeanette McDiarmid advised that she would work with Chief Inspector McLean on an Action Plan on reducing death and injury on Borders’ roads.  Dr Tim Patterson, Director of Public Health, further advised that he would arrange for details of the course to be included in the planned public health communications plan.        

DECISION

AGREED:

(a)     to encourage all partner organisations to publicise the ‘Skills for Life’ course and, where practical, provide support to their employees to allow them to participate; and

(b)     that Chief Inspector McLean and SBC Depute Chief Executive (People) would work together to produce an Action Plan to reduce death and injury on Borders’ roads.