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It made me chuckle that children as young as five years old are to be offered driving lessons. A new electric car, which costs £5000 and has a top speed of 10mph, has been specifically designed for children aged five to 10 to be used as part of a young driver training day on private land at selected UK venues.
The aim is to give youngsters a greater insight into what it takes to drive, and wider road safety. It seems a bit extreme at such a young age, but the principle behind it seems sensible. Children are a vulnerable group, and a better understanding of how to stay safe as they grow up isn't a bad thing. I suppose it will also give them a base level of understanding once they are old enough to start driving lessons.
In a wider context, it's not just children where a bit of extra learning can pay dividends; many experienced drivers can benefit too. We pass our test at around 17 or 18, and for many drivers that's it. This means that not only can drivers slip into bad habits, they don't necessarily have the tools needed to drive at their best on an ever-changing road infrastructure or in ever-changing vehicles.
Training can be tailored to deliver a range of benefits, and that's why many companies put their drivers through refresher courses. From the obvious safety focus through to eco driving, it can teach drivers skills that they just didn't cover in their test.
Plug-in hybrids provide a great example. To get the most out of this technology you have to drive in a certain way and drivers may not have been equipped to do this. Regenerative braking, speed of acceleration and braking habits are just some of the factors to consider to increase the electric range and get the best fuel economy out of the vehicle.
While most experienced drivers are very competent, motoring is a changing landscape and it's never too late to learn. If you get the opportunity to polish your skills, why wouldn't you take it?
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