Teenage Borderer proves he's one of the best young drivers in UK - even though he can't legally get behind the wheel yet

The 15-year old from Eyemouth competed at the Young Driver Challenge 2021 in Warwickshire over the weekend, a competition specifically for youngsters who aren’t yet 17.

And he was presented with a certificate from TV presenter and motoring expert Quentin Willson, bestowing on him the allocade as one of the nation’s top young motorists.

Scott, who attends Eyemouth High School, was one of 40 talented finalists, all aged under 17, who earned their place competing at the event held at the British Motor Museum.

He took part in the 14-16 age category and was praised for his safe driving skills.

The challenge is organised by Young Driver, the UK’s largest pre-17 driving school, and 2021 marks the seventh year the competition has run.

Competitors compete in two age categories – 10 to 13 and 14 to 16 – and take part in a variety of driving activities including reversing, parking, manoeuvring a slalom, handling junctions and independent driving.

Drivers are behind the wheel of new, dual controlled Vauxhall Corsas with fully qualified driving instructors who assess their abilities and skills.

The aim of the Young Driver scheme is to create a safer next generation of drivers – in the UK one in five newly qualified drivers has an accident within six months of passing their test, but this drops dramatically for Young Driver past pupils.

It proved an eye-opening experience for the Eyemouth teenager.

Scott said: “I had such a brilliant day, it was great to spend so much time behind the wheel with new instructors. I really love learning to drive and I’m proud of how well I’ve done to get to the final. It’s great to think that I’m improving my skills all the time so by the time I’m 17 I’ll already have that head-start of knowing how to safely control a car.”

All finalists received a medal, a complimentary 60 minute Young Driver gift voucher and a signed copy of Quentin Willson’s latest book: Learn to Drive without Tears and Tantrums.

Sue Waterfield, head of marketing at Young Driver, said: “It’s been a great final, the drivers all performed amazingly. Scott should feel very proud of himself, it’s a fantastic achievement. Anyone watching the finalists drive can see how beneficial it is learning at such a young age. These teens take the responsibility of being a safe driver very seriously and they show great control of the cars. They’ll take that forward with them as they learn on the road at 17 and then as qualified drivers. But beyond showing us how great their driving skills are, they’ve all had a really great day with lots of smiles and a real sense of pride and achievement, which is what it’s all about.”

Young Driver operates at 70 locations across the UK, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Falkirk, and has sold more than one million driving lessons to youngsters aged between 10 and 17. For more information, go to www.youngdriver.com or download the app.