WOULD-BE drivers as young as 15 are being given the chance to get behind the wheel of a car legally in a scheme being run by Nottinghamshire County Council.

The pre-driver training experience for pupils aged 15-17 is offered as part of the council’s ongoing programme of education for young people in a bid to cut road traffic casualties.

The council has been holding the sessions for several years during school holidays and they are proving to be sell-out events.

The latest one-day session is at the Nottingham Forest football ground on Friday, 11th April.

The session runs from 9am until 4pm, is open to all 15 to 17-year-olds who live or are educated in Nottinghamshire and costs £35. Pupils don’t need a provisional driving licence as the training takes place away from the public highway

Bookings can be made by phoning 0300 500 8080. Spaces are limited so bookings will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis

“This course gives young people their first experience behind the wheel of a car in a safe, controlled, environment with fully qualified driving instructors,” said Coun Kevin Greaves, chairman of the transport and highways committee.

“Research shows that young people form and crystallise their driving attitudes well before they actually take to the road themselves, so it’s important that they receive the right message from the right people.”

As well as two hours in-car training, the pre-driver training days also include advice on how to choose a good driving instructor and workshops on the responsibilities that come with being a driver, including the effects – and repercussions – of drink or drugs on a person’s driving abilities.

There will also be practical demonstrations of safe stopping distances and cornering techniques.