Award for young drivers project

Receiving the award: From left, Simon Brown, Road Safety Programme Manager, Police Inspector Phil Bloor, Simon Best from Hertfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service, Janet Fairhead, Senior Road Safety Officer, Kathy Ware, Road Safety Partnership Officer; Councillor Terry Douri and Councillor Graham McAndrew.

A project which educates young people about the dangers of driving and helps them make sensible decisions on the road has won national recognition.

Learn 2 Live, which is run by the Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership (HRSP), scooped the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Award for Excellence in the Vulnerable Road Users Safety category at a ceremony in London.

During September, more than 6,000 16 and 17-year-olds attended Learn 2 Live events across the county.

Statistics show that people in this age group are more likely to be involved in collisions, bringing with it emotional and economic damage to whole communities.

Learn 2 Live aims to jolt young people out of the ‘immortality’ myth and help them to make informed and sensible decisions as either a driver or passenger on the road.

Cabinet member for highways, Terry Douris, said: “We are absolutely delighted that this project has been recognised nationally.

“The Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership is committed to educating and engaging young people in the county with important and consistent road safety messages.

“Learn 2 Live aims to encourage young drivers to better and more responsible driving and research has shown that attendance at these events really does produce a noticeable and positive behavioural change in most young drivers.”

Key partners of the HRSP include Hertfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue, Hertfordshire Trading Standards, Hertfordshire Constabulary, Highways England, Public Health, Road Victim Trust Charity and Community Protection.