STUDENTS at Westonbirt School will spearhead the latest drive to promote road safety by launching an online course for young drivers next Friday.

Sixth formers at the independent school near Tetbury are working in partnership with Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue to launch the Gloucestershire version of Drive iQ.

DriveiQ is an online platform specifically designed for novice and newly-qualified drivers to use free of charge.

Safe and social driving and helping young people become responsible adults are two of Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl’s top priorities.

He said: “It’s a harsh truth but the facts speak for themselves and are proof that the riskiest thing a teenager will most likely do is get behind the wheel after they pass their test.

“Probably the second riskiest thing is being a passenger in a car driven by a new young driver.

“It’s not their fault. The reason is that the part of a young person’s brain that’s responsible for assessing risk, anticipating danger, eye scanning and impulse doesn’t fully develop until their early to mid-twenties.

"We need to do all we can to help protect them during this vulnerable period”. In the past three years 808 road users have been injured on the roads in the Cotswolds. During that period, two thirds of all car passengers aged 15 to 19 injured on Gloucestershire’s roads have been young women."

As part of the Drive iQ launch, Year 12 pupils at Westonbirt School will complete modules in road safety and will be presented with certificates at the end of the day.

During the day, a dramatic road traffic collision will be ‘set-up’ in the 6th form courtyard and will include crashed vehicles, emergency service rescue vehicles and service personnel.

Students will play the part of victims and witness how the dramatic scene and rescue unfolds to demonstrate the tragic consequences when things go wrong and to emphasise importance of road safety and the part that DriveiQ can play.

Head of Sixth Form, Mary Philips says “Westonbirt are delighted to be taking part in this very important training for our pupils. Being a school in a country setting, many of our Sixth Formers drive and road safety and awareness is vital to their safe driving.

"We have 31 girls taking part in this practical training from Year 12 and I am sure they will learn a huge amount throughout the day”