LHYCA

Picking up the Momentum by Andrew Murray

Part Two

Over the past few years there has been a ridiculous amount of crashes involving new drivers. Thinking back to when I was in school not that long ago I can think of 25 different accidents off the top of my head, and there was probably more. It's a pretty shocking statistic. It's led to people wondering what exactly is the problem.

The Momentum pre-driving course wasn't set up to find out the root of the problem, but to help stop it before it's even an issue. You might remember a few weeks back I attended the first part of the Momentum course. This time round things were a little more serious and the message was more obvious. First of all people were introduced to Donald Geddes, and you can read more about that in the accompanying article. A variety of workshops were also held - all fun, but with a serious message. If I hadn't been on this course I wouldn't have been a fraction as aware of the dangers of driving as I am now - an example, one workshop is basically orientated around the mechanics of a car. We learned how to change a wheel, and all about tyre threads. If I'd been driving around Stornoway and burst my tyre would I have known just how dangerous it could be to continue driving? Would you? And even if you did, would you know how to fix the problem? It's so simple, yet so few know what to do. Thanks to Momentum I'd be pretty sorted if worst came to worst and my tyre needed replacing. Now all I need to do is sort out that whole 'being a rubbish driver' problem and I'll be on my way! I'd wager good money that very few new drivers have the faintest idea about tyre pressure, but all this is simplified through Momentum. Another workshop explained Car Insurance - 'Third Party Insurance' and 'fully comprehensive' were two alien terms to me before this course. My knowledge of car insurance started and ended with "for cheaper car insurance deals, girls get down to Sheila's wheels!". Darn song. We also got to find out what it was like to drink and drive. No, they did not get us drunk out of our eyeballs, but special goggles were on hand to show everyone what the world was like through the eyes of a drunk person. Driving would be a bit of a challenge to say the least. Heck, walking would be a bit of a challenge, let alone hopping in a car! PC Neil Macdonald said: "I've seen grown men and women break down in tears sitting in the back of our car after being caught - they've realised the impact this is going to have on their life. But all those who actually do get caught drink driving are the lucky ones. They've been stopped before something serious has happened"
He continued: "Penalty points and a fine are the least of your worries when you're driving drunk. You're not just putting your life at risk, but that of other people. If you kill someone that's going to be on your mind for the rest of your life - every time you sit in a car you'll see their face, every time you go on holiday with your family - that's going to haunt you "You'll look back and think 'What if?', 'What if I hadn't taken that drink? it's possible the accident would have happened anyway - but that would always be on your mind. You can think 'What if?' all you want, but you can't change what's happened." He concluded: "There is a limit on how much alcohol you can take, but it takes a different amount to get different people drunk - some people can get drunk on very little -simply put, just don't drink and drive"

All in all I genuinely took a lot from the course, and it just reinforced my opinion that a similar course should be on offer for new drivers. I think the reason there's been so many crashes involving new drivers recently is simply due to a lack of knowledge. I'd thought I had enough road knowledge to get my by, but in after Momentum I realised that I'd barely scratched the surface. There were so many things I needed to know that I didn't. You don't learn these things through driving lessons or your theory test, and unless you happen to be a total car buff it's unlikely you're going to know them already. It doesn't just teach those who attend 'handy little extras', it gives them essential knowledge. Knowledge that many new drivers simply won't have.