The Pathfinder Project developed from a recognition that many young people could benefit from the Under 17 Car Club approach to developing safe drivers.
Started as a one-off experiment in 2008, the project set out to establish whether the core attitudes and disciplines essential to safe driving could be conveyed in an intense 5-day programme. The evidence suggests it can.
The Under 17 Car Club is split into 3 organisations. The club itself, the Pathfinder Project, which aims to provide a Car Club experience for 15-to-17-year-olds focused on driving safety, and the Under 17 Car Club Charitable Trust, which manages the operations of the organisation.
The U17 driving experience, delivered through the Pathfinder Initiative, aims to provide those attending the 5-day course with -
- core driving skills
- driving and road safety theory
- dealing with peer pressure
- road risk and safety practice
- advanced driving appreciation
- essential car control
- manoeuvring
- brake and avoid
- speed awareness
The course encourages and enables students to drive a range of vehicles so that they gain an appreciation of how other cars perform and how other motorists may act on the road.
Courses for young people in Yorkshire are delivered from Rufforth East Airfield on the outskirts of York.