A BOY from Rugby has been named one of the best young drivers in the country – at only 16 years old.
Sam Basford, from Lawrence Sheriff School, was name one of the best drivers in the 14-16 age category at the national final for the 2015 Young Driver Challenge.
Sam was selected alongside 40 other finalists to compete in the final of the competition, which is open to 11-16-year-olds.
Youngsters were judged on both driving skill and theoretical knowledge, as well as being tested on manoeuvres such as parallel parking, figures of eight, braking, steering, judgement and positioning.
Sam said: “I was really pleased to make it into the final and to even be in the top 20 for my age group was just a great feeling.
“The driving challenge itself really put me to the test. It was great fun to put everything I’ve learnt in my lessons into practice and to be given the opportunity to get even more experience. Young Driver has given me a good understanding of how to drive, and how to be safe on the roads, which will be really useful when I turn 17.”
The judges were impressed with Sam’s control of the vehicle and quick thinking behind the wheel. For placing so highly in the competition, Sam won driving lesson vouchers and a goody bag.
Kim Stanton, who heads up the Young Driver scheme, said: “I’d like to say a huge well done to all of our finalists – and of course to Sam, who did amazingly well. They gave a fantastic demonstration of just how good a driver a young person can be and they should be very proud of their skills behind the wheel.
“The aim of Young Driver has always been to create a safer next generation of drivers, by teaching them over a longer period of time, to provide a more thorough understanding. It gives us a great opportunity to talk to more youngsters about safe driving, and to show how good young drivers can be, given the time and experience they need.”
Young Driver provides driving tuition to under-17s. Visit www.youngdriver.eu for more information on the Young Driver competition.
