1,000 young people are to receive sessions on road safety and the impacts of driving uninsured. The Safety Centre education charity has partnered with MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) to host over 40 sessions across the region into schools over the next year.

 

The partnership will enable 1,000 young people aged 11-18 years old across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Greater London and Oxfordshire to access road safety workshops, supporting MIB’s long-term vision to end uninsured driving for good by educating the next generation of drivers.

 

The funding from MIB will enable the Safety Centre to provide interactive road safety lessons which will equip young people with knowledge and understanding about driver responsibility and car insurance. The sessions will also provide transferrable skills relevant to a wide range of real-life situations, including risk assessment, decision making, critical thinking, and the ability to examine the legitimacy of business interactions via social media. Materials for these impactful workshops have been co-created by MIB and the PSHE association.

 

Uninsured driving is a problem that seriously affects both the lives of those involved in road accidents, as well as the UK economy. With someone in the UK being hit by an uninsured of hit-and-run driver every 20 minutes, MIB estimates that the cost to the economy is nearly £2.4 billion a year in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and human costs.

 

Ali Stripling, Corporate Responsibility Partner at MIB, said:

“We believe that early intervention through education directly feeds into our vision of ending uninsured driving for good.  Many young people are oblivious of how to stay safe on the roads. At MIB we know we have an opportunity to make a positive difference by improving awareness within the drivers of tomorrow. That’s why we are proud to have teamed-up with the PSHE Association to co-create resources for teachers and partnered with the Safety Centre to support classroom delivery.  We can improve the road safety knowledge and awareness of young people throughout the region and, together, make roads safer for all.  As well as reaching 1,000 young people in our first year of partnership, our funding will also contribute towards the vital every-day work of the Safety Centre.”

 

Maya Joseph-Hussain, CEO of the Safety Centre, said,

“Young people need specific tools to be safe pedestrians and drivers. We’re excited to launch specialist road safety education workshops in partnership with MIB, as an important step towards helping young people navigate the world as they gain more independence. You only have one chance to safely make your way through traffic as a pedestrian or driver and we want all young people to have the skills to do this safely. Every life lost to traffic incidents is one too many and we’re delighted to be working with industry experts to share important safety messages that will save lives.”

 

Schools can find out more about the Safety Centre workshops at https://www.safetycentre.co.uk/sessions-in-schools, by calling the education team on 01908 263009 or emailing educationteam@safetycentre.co.uk. Road safety sessions can be booked for delivery from February 2024.