A DOWNEND School pupil is proving she is an accomplished driver, despite having only just turned 12.
Immy Laurence, from Downend, has passed her Grade 3 assessment at the Under 17 Car Club, which meets at the Castle Combe race circuit, after a year behind the wheel off-road.
She spends most Sundays driving around an airfield or race track and dad Andy says she has clocked up 1,000 miles in that time, with instruction from experienced volunteers.
Andy said: “To get to Grade 3, she’s had to pass her theory test including a hazard perception test and how to check the car for basic maintenance and safety.
“Of course, there’s also the driving element, and she’s been assessed on basic car control as well as manoeuvres like reverse parking, parallel parking, reversing around a corner, turning in the road and a hill start. she’s also had to perfect her emergency stop, ready for that nerve-wracking moment in the driving test.”
Immy is now aiming for her Grade 2 assessment, which includes a simulated motorway driving lesson, at 70mph on a runway, along with lessons on the consequences of driving whilst on the phone and a role-play session on how to talk to a peer who isn’t driving sensibly.
She will also need to complete a first aid lesson and skid pan session before she can reach Grade 2, which older brother Archie has already achieved.
Immy said: “My favourite part of driving is doing slaloms, where I drive through a series of cones.
“I like to see how quickly I can get through without touching a cone, and show my brother I’m better at it than him!”
Andy – who Voice readers may remember from past editions as a motor racing driver and columnist – said: “Did you know that the biggest cause of death for 16 to 24-year-old women is 16 to 24-year-old men in the driving seat? That’s a sobering statistic for any parent.
“The reasons are minimal training and experience, right at the age that men want to impress women and take risks.
“There’s not much you can do about the age, but you can do something about that training and experience.”
Andy said the Under 17 Car Club runs ‘Magic Day’ events which allow members to try out cars on the track in return for a donation to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
The most recent event at Castle Combe raised more than £7,000 for the charity, with the cars on offer including a Jaguar E Type, Lotus Elise, RenaultSport Clio Cup, VW Golf GTi and a Morris Minor 1000.
To find out more about the volunteer-run club visit the under17-carclub.co.uk website or Facebook page.