A COMPREHENSIVE road safety and driver education programme for 16 and 17-year-olds has been taking place in Uttlesford.

Motorwise, at Carver Barracks, saw more than 800 students from years 11 and 12 receive tuition and tips on car maintenance, hazard awareness, and driving techniques.

Uttlesford District Council’s community safety officer Martin Ford said: “Motorwise is now a very well established event that teaches teenagers about the practicalities and responsibilities associated with driving.

“The course imparts knowledge in a way that wouldn’t be possible in the classroom, through hands-on demonstrations and interactive workshops, at a time when many of the students are about to begin learning to drive.

“The feedback we get from teachers and students is overwhelmingly positive and I’m very grateful for all the hard work from everyone involved.”

Over the 10 years it has been running, more than 6000 students have benefited from the three-day course.

During this years’ event, teenagers got a chance to try driving a car – often for the first time – with the help of an experienced instructor and away from public roads.

Motorwise is the work of the Uttlesford Community Safety Partnership, a collaboration of organisations working to make the district safer.

Members include the district council, Essex County Council, Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, with additional support coming from local driving schools and FedEx.