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Lewis Hamilton Launches New Driving Experience Centre At Silverstone

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz UK hands over to Lewis Hamilton

On Wednesday 30 May, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton visited the new Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience Centre at Silverstone Circuit to launch an expansion of the successful and innovative Driving Academy.  The aim is to make young people better drivers and safer on the roads by learning to drive at an earlier age.

Offering a new approach to learning to drive in the UK, the new Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy at Silverstone was officially launched by the 2008 Formula 1™ World Champion.  With the help of 25 school children, Lewis, in his role as Driving Academy Ambassador showed his support for the road safety initiative in front of senior representatives from local councils and emergency services.

Lewis Hamilton, commented: “It’s great that the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is giving young people the opportunity to start learning to drive. By having the chance to master basic driving skills in the safe and controlled environment of the road layout at the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, young people can gain confidence and focus on controlling the car before they have to deal with traffic situations out on the public roads.”

At the new Silverstone-based Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, drivers are taught on a dedicated road layout complete with junctions and road signs.  In a fleet of dual-controlled cars, a dedicated team of professional Approved Driving Instructors coach the young drivers on important car control skills such as pulling away at junctions, steering through corners and roundabouts, braking, reversing and psychological skills – all in a safe and controlled environment.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz UK, added:  “Our new Driving Experience Centre at Silverstone Circuit is the perfect place to start learning to drive in a safe and controlled environment.  As a brand, safety has always been of utmost importance – vehicle safety and driver safety.  We are proud to have introduced so many safety innovations that we see in cars today and we are looking forward to equipping the next generation of drivers with the necessary skills to be more responsible behind the wheel.”

The Driving Academy programme was developed by Mercedes-Benz’s road safety experts.  It draws upon research from Sweden where the impact of an initiative to start learning to drive earlier has been proven to reduce accident rates during the first year of driving by 40% among drivers who started behind the wheel at 16 years old.  

Having launched three years ago at Mercedes-Benz World, Surrey, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy has grown its coverage across the South East and has welcomed 6000 people.  The latest coaching techniques and hand-picked team has achieved a first time pass rate for driving tests is 78%, significantly higher than the 46% national average.

Young drivers must be a minimum of 1.5 metres tall to join the Driving Academy.

For further information about the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy visit www.mbdrivingacademy.com or call 0845 123 0055.  

The Editor of AboutMyArea/NN12 went along to take a few snaps, they can be seen on Flickr Towcesternews or in the slide show below.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

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Comments

Laurie

At 09:35 on 1st June 2012, Laurie commented:

What a load of marketing bull. Between 15 an12 years ago my son and then daughter learned to drive at a volunteer organisation at Brooklands. Both children and all the others who attended Sunday lessons we under the legal age to drive and had a wonderful time driving old bangers around an improvised circuit, whilst learning the skills to drive and the basics of automobiles. No dual controls, no flash Mercedes cars and no big fees. And yes, they passed their tests with flying colours and have been accident free drivers for the past 15 years. We and the other parents did not need research in Sweden or elswhere to convince us of the need to learn to drive offroad but common sense and the goodwill of the voluntary teachers and providors of the old bangers. Laurie Davies

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