RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
October 14, 2003
UK’S BEST YOUNG DRIVERS NAMED
The UK’s best young driver has been named as Craig Shaw, aged 18, from Hereford.
Others honoured for their skills include competitors from Spilsby in Lincolnshire, Hamilton in Scotland, Taunton, Crewe, Warrington and Newtonabbey in Northern Ireland.
The Catherine Kenyon Trust Young Driver of the Year final on Sunday (October 12) was again hosted by Silverstone Circuits. The event was set up in 1992, in memory of Catherine, killed in 1990 by a 21-year-old driver, who had been involved in a race with a motorcyclist.
There were eight regional heats organised and run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Advanced Drivers Association to find the 40 finalists. The competition was aimed at motorists up to 24 years-old – the group most at risk on our roads. The finalists underwent a one-hour road test, skid training, a manoeuvrability exercise and a Highway Code test.
Winner Craig Shaw’s prizes were a trophy, entry and training to race in the Uniroyal Team Challenge at a major UK circuit, £500 CIS car insurance and Green Flag membership.
The runner-up was George Dann, aged 22, from Spilsby Lincolnshire. He was given a trophy, £500 CIS car insurance, £250 worth of Uniroyal tyres and Green Flag membership.
Other winners included: Best drive - Thomas Milne, 18, Hamilton; Best drive runner-up – Matt Baker, 21, Taunton; Theory – Dawn Tideswell, 19, Crewe; Manoeuvring – Jonathan Cummings, 20, Newtonabbey, Northern Ireland; Skid Control – Martin Wrigley, 24, Warrington.
Thames Valley Police has been the mainstay of the competiton over the last 12 years. The idea came from PC Gary Baldwin, who investigated the crash which caused Catherine’s death.
Bob Smalley, RoSPA’s Chief Driving Examiner, said: “Craig Shaw proved the best of a group of finalists who could show many more experienced motorists how to drive safely. Young motorists are often criticised, but these demonstrated the skills and knowledge which we hope others of their generation will strive to attain.”
Other prizes: Silverstone Experiences, a Jordan grand prix team testing day, U-POL web-TV sets, Mintex and Autoglym car accessories and £500 worth of prizes from the Maine Group for teenagers. Others sponsors were DAS and Helphire.
