As experienced, approved driving instructors (ADIs), Sarah Handley and I - together with our colleagues all across the UK - are very much aware how inexperienced drivers and their passengers, particularly teenagers, can be potentially involved in severe - and often fatal - accidents. These unnecessary tragedies highlight a very obvious and glaring omission in our driver education system - the provision of comprehensive driver theory and safety training for teenagers well before they jump into the driver's seat.

In many cases, these young individuals have barely had the chance to start their adult lives, only for them to be abruptly ended due to road accidents that might have been preventable with the right education. While passing both theory and practical tests is a requirement, there is a crucial step missing: preparing our children with the necessary tools and knowledge to be responsible, defensive drivers well before they get behind the wheel.

Some road safety campaigners have suggested measures such as graduated licences, limiting passengers or imposing speed restrictions after passing the practical test. While these proposals may help, they address the problem after the risk has already emerged. We believe the solution must begin much, MUCH earlier.

We are calling for mandatory driver theory and safety education to be embedded within the secondary school curriculum across the United Kingdom. Every teenager - regardless of background - should receive structured, age-appropriate education about hazard perception, peer pressure, distractions, speed awareness, drink and drugs, the necessity of wearing seat belts and the real-life consequences of risky driving. This should take place before they start studying their GCSEs in year 9, right through to the age of 17, so they are aware of the dangers and consequences well before they even take their first lesson.

This is not about teaching children and young people to drive; it is about teaching them to value life, responsibility and safety on our roads. Driver safety education already exists elsewhere in the world; in the USA, for example, the requirements and methods of driver education vary by state. The goal, however, remains the same: to ensure that teens are well-prepared for driving and to reduce the risk of accidents. The UK needs to join the global educational force protecting our young people on the roads.

According to statistics from the Department for Transport, young drivers aged 17 to 24 are involved in almost a quarter of all fatal collisions. Furthermore, studies from the RAC Foundation show that novice drivers are at a much higher risk of crashing within their first year of driving compared to experienced drivers. It is evident that early education could play a critical role in lowering these numbers.

By making driver theory and safety training a compulsory element of the secondary school curriculum, we could significantly lower the rates of road accidents and fatalities among young drivers in the UK. Providing practical knowledge and instilling the importance of road safety from an early age will ultimately save lives - it's a no-brainer!

We urge the relevant educational and governmental bodies to recognise the importance of driver safety as part of our children's education. Please join us in advocating for this change for the sake of our young people's future. Your signature on this petition could contribute to creating safer roads for everyone.

Sign this petition NOW to make driver safety training mandatory for ALL teenagers in the UK - please help ensure that no one has to endure the loss of their loved ones, which simple education in school could have had the power to prevent.

Kaz Burgoyne & Sarah Handley
Shrewsbury ADIs