Young Upper Hutt drivers better equipped for the roads

Sixty Upper Hutt teenagers spent part of their July school holidays upskilling themselves when it comes to getting behind the wheel. Youth Drive Skills Upper Hutt is a joint project between Upper Hutt Police, Upper Hutt City Council and VTNZ and was run for the first time during the holiday period, with great ssuccess.

Upper Hutt Police Youth Education Officer Senior Constable Kerry Fenton says the idea for the course came last year after numerous conversations with young people revealed barriers to graduating through the driver licencing system.

"Youth were telling us the barriers included the cost of the licences, the cost of driving lessons and the fact that there wasn't anyone to teach them correct driving techniques," Kerry Fenton says.

Senior Constable Fenton says that during the week, 60 students had the chance to undertake practical driving lessons under the watchful eyes of New Zealand Police College driving instructors, as well as learning basic road safety skills.

"The support from MAF for allowing the use of the Wallaceville Animal Research Centre was also integral to the programme's success as students were able to practice with the driver trainer's on their closed roading network," Fenton says.

As part of VTNZ's commitment to the project, 15 students had their licences paid for - either a Learner's, Restricted or Full licence.

Upper Hutt City Council Road Safety Co-Ordinator Joanne Kinnaird says the course is a win-win for the community.

"Twenty three per cent of crashes in Upper Hutt are caused by people on a Restricted licence so we're doing our bit to encourage young drivers to graduate through the driver licencing system," she says.

Joanne says it's admirable that these 60 young people have attended the course off their own bat and we're really proud of the hard work and commitment they've demonstrated this week.

"The students have told us that the course was really valuable and has given them more confidence with their driving. They also said the course made them more aware about hazards on the road, such as texting while driving," she says.

Senior Constable Kerry Fenton says they're looking at all options to make the Youth Drive Skills Upper Hutt sustainable into the future.