Children don’t belong behind the wheel of a car, but some people in the UK think otherwise. A company starts there with ‘driving lessons’ for children, on a closed site of course.
Most people get behind the wheel without any experience in their first driving lesson. A few have (secretly) already driven with a family member, often in a parking lot or private property, but that’s it. In the UK ‘TrackDays’ thinks it is time to change that. There they will offer driving lessons for children. Obviously not on public roads, but with a serious goal.
From now on, TrackDays allows children from the age of 10 to take a seat behind the wheel. “Self-confidence and experience are essential when learning to drive. Young people with a few miles behind them can benefit if they practice early,” said TrackDays foreman Dan Jones. In a Ford Fiesta ST, among other things, the children can get started with the basic skills: steering, accelerating, braking and shifting gears. The instructor takes into account the age and possibly previous experience of the child.
Of course, the children cannot obtain an official document and it is purely intended as a fun first experience with driving. Such a first introduction to driving costs between € 50 and € 100. In the Netherlands you can also drive on Circuit Zandvoort from the age of ten, for example. However, this British initiative seems less focused on having fun and more on preparing for daily practice.