A 13 and a 16 year old are celebrating after beating hundreds of others from across the country to be crowned the UK's Best Young Drivers - before they are even old enough to officially drive.
Troy Hickling, 16, from Leicester finished first in the 14-16 age category and Hannah Tripp, 13, from Cheddar in Somerset won the 11-13 age group at the national finals of the 2014 Young Driver Challenge, held at the Birmingham NEC.
They were crowned the overall national champions after judges from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) praised their vehicle control, precise manoeuvres and quick thinking behind the wheel.
More than 350 young people entered the competition, organised by Young Driver, the UK’s largest provider of driving tuition for under-17s. Troy and Hannah were among the 40 who made it to the final of the contest - which was open to those aged between 11 and 16.
As well as being marked on their practical driving skills at one of Young Driver’s 33 venues, the entrants were also judged on their performance in the Goodyear Driving Academy, an online driving simulator which tests youngsters’ knowledge of the Highway Code.
Hannah and Troy both took home the top prize of 20 Young Driver lessons, 20 on-road post-17 driving lessons courtesy of Goodyear, a Young Driver at School session for them and their classmates, and £500 off their car insurance premium courtesy of Young Driver sponsor Admiral.
Hannah said, "It was an amazing feeling even to be in the final. To then learn I'd won my age category was just incredible. It was quite a challenging test and we knew the judges were marking our ability based on a lot of different driving skills and manoeuvres.”
Troy added, “It was a great day and I was stunned to win. It’s reassuring to know I’m doing so well, and all this experience will obviously be a huge help when I come to learn on the road when I’m 17. I’m looking forward to all my classmates being able to try out the Young Driver experience as part of my prize.”
One of the judges, IAM Director of Standards Mark Lewis said, “Young people are often labelled as risky drivers; but Troy, Hannah and all the entrants to the contest have shown that they can achieve the highest standards of driving safety. There is a small amount of research to suggest that those who undertake driver training at an early age pass their DVSA test first time. It would seem that whilst they may have less on-road driver training once they obtain their provisional licence, their attitudes to safe driving remain unchanged by peer pressure.”
One mum said her son was now pointing out her bad driving habits and particularly encouraging her to drive within the speed limits.
Photos - top to bottom: The 14-16 age group finalists at the 2014 Young Driver Challenge; the 11-13 age group finalists.