Ford Ireland is recommitting its support to former rally driver Rosemary Smith’s Think Awareness road safety initiative. The specially devised training programme has given thousands of Irish teenagers their first taste of safe driving in a thoroughly safe environment. The initiative was set up ten years ago following the success of similar programmes in the US.

Ford’s Eddie Murphy, says: “The earlier that we can teach our young drivers proper driving behaviour, the better chance we have of producing safe and experienced young drivers. That has to have a positive effect on road safety across the country. It is a scandal that Rosemary’s valuable programme – running for more than 10 years now – has still not received official approval by the state or its agencies.” Rosemary and her team provide the Think Awareness driving instruction for transition-year students, with over 11,000 students having been trained to date. All of the schooling is provided on private property so there is no risk to the learners or other road users. The main base for the initiative is Goff’s in Naas, but the team also travel around the country, providing the training in schools with suitable space. Think Awareness programme students are trained in Ford Fiesta models, which Rosemary believes are ideal vehicles in which to teach young drivers.