Educating motorists from an early age is the only way to make our roads safer

“OLD habits die hard”. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Two clichés often used to explain why people can’t adapt in the 21st century.

They’re two phrases, though, that can be applied to motorists who refuse to change their bad driving habits, whether it’s using a phone, drink-driving or speeding.

It seems no amount of education through awareness adverts – or courses for those caught – helps to stop motorists flouting the law.

So what’s the answer? To me, it seems simple. Target people before they even get behind the wheel so good practices are ingrained from the outset. Over time, it’ll help iron out problems and create safer roads.

Yet this remains no closer to actually happening on a wide scale, despite backing from most road safety groups. It’s more than two years since I visited a school in Wales to see its unique programme – backed by police and the local council – which was educating 15 and 16-year-olds on road dangers and how to be a safer driver.

This week, the Co-op announced it would be working with five schools – with support from charity Brake – to help educate pupils aged 11 to 16 about driving. Sessions have been devised to demonstrate the impact on the life of somebody who may make a wrong driving decision, rather than scare tactics.

This is exactly the sort of thing we should be including in the National Curriculum and making compulsory for the drivers of the next 20, 30 and 40 years. How much more useful would that be to students than taking an exam in General Studies or memorising the equation for photosynthesis?

“We need to target people before they even take the wheel so good practice is ingrained”