Wiltshire driving instructor's fears for young motorists (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Wiltshire driving instructor's fears for young motorists

7:00am Monday 4th January 2010

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Driving instructor Matthew Carlsson has decided to take action after fearing for the safety of young drivers on Wiltshire roads.

Mr Carlsson, 38, of Lyneham, who has run Church Farm Driving School for five years, is offering 16-year-olds the chance to drive off road in Wroughton airfield.

He hopes it will educate youngsters on the dangers of driving so they are prepared when they get behind the wheel at the legal driving age of 17.

He said: “This is something I have wanted to do for about three or four years now.

“You hear about these young drivers who have died in crashes while they have been texting or changing a CD, and I just thought instead of sitting back and getting upset about these stories, why not do something about it.

“I have had a lot of interest, somebody from Liverpool even rang me to find out more.

“People don’t seem to realise this is on offer, but all I am trying to do is give young drivers a different attitude to driving and make them more safety conscious.

“There are a lot of distractions in cars nowadays for youngsters specifically and they don’t understand they can be a danger.

“When they learn to drive at 17, they learn everything they need to pass the test, but it doesn’t develop an attitude to driving which is where they come unstuck afterwards.”

Mr Carlsson set up the Under 17s Driving Lessons in the summer and is hoping they will become regular weekend sessions.

He added: “I enjoy being a driving instructor even more now I work with the under 17s and also do bad weather simulation courses.

“I like to do things differently. If my pupils have fun, then I have fun.

“The lessons mean that by the time they are 17, they don’t have that excitement about being behind the wheel because they have driven before, and they don’t feel as though they need to have their license straight away.”

To find out more visit www.churchfarmdrivingschool.co.uk or call (01249) 891350.

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