News

Last Chance Driving School
Two of the instructors featured in the programme were provided by the a²om academy from our pool of university trained driving tutors. Neil and Laurie-Jane can be seen providing first class coaching to people who have previously failed numerous driving tests for a variety of reasons. Laurie-Jane was also interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford Breakfast Show with Shabina Akhtar

More information:

www.a2om.com/lastchance/ and www.itv.com/Lifestyle/LastChanceDriving/default.html

a²om Sponsors The Oxbridge 124TH Varsity Football Match
This event will occur at Fulham Football Club, Craven Cottage on Saturday 29th March, 2008

a²om Sponsors The Thames Valley ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’ Campaign With ‘Silence Kills’
a²om began with the concern that the most likely thing to cut short young lives, that are packed with potential, is a road traffic crash. That is why a²om and Safe Drive Stay Alive form a very natural partnership.

www.safedrive.org.uk/silencekills.html

Gary Austin, Speaks At Brake Conference 29th January
Going the extra mile: holistic learning based on international research - Gary Austin, Managing Director, a²om Academy. www.brake.org.uk/index.php?p=461

Gary Austin, a²om Academy Managing Director, contributes to a radio debate on new ideas aimed at cutting young driver deaths

"Road crashes are the single biggest killer of 15-24 year olds – who are twice as likely as other age groups to be involved in fatal accidents." Read more and listen to the show.

a²om sponsors International Conference in Driver Behaviour and Training

a²om are proud to sponsor the forthcoming International Conference in Driver Behaviour and Training in Dublin on the 12 - 13 November 2007.

For more information please read the brochure. (550kb PDF)

a²om sponsorship and Sir Alex Ferguson kick start the ISFA football season Sir Alex Ferguson and a2om

The big kick-off to the new ISFA (Independent Schools Football Association) season took place on Sunday 9th September when the ISFA Sixes celebrate their Golden Jubilee under the new sponsorship of a²om.

a²om was formed three years ago by a group of concerned parents with the simple aim of creating the best novice driver training programme in the world to ensure that young people could learn to be safer drivers for life rather than just to pass a test.
This year's tournament took place at St. Bede's College, Manchester, and the Guest of Honour was Sir Alex Ferguson, Manager of Manchester United.

As a special gesture a²om, has awarded each of the best players from the teams participating in Sunday’s event, a free driving course worth £2,500 or a post test course and advanced handling day at Rockingham to the same value.

David Thomas, Chairman of a²om says "As sponsors of today’s event at St Bede’s we at a²om are very proud to continue to do all we can to support ISFA and the promotion of football in independent schools. We see a fantastic opportunity to work with football on all levels to help strengthen awareness of driver and road safety issues through the visibility of players as role models. Primarily, our goal is to develop a safer driving culture amongst the young."

a²om hosted a stand at the 2007 Independant Schools Council Conference - receiving great interest!

The 2007 ISC Annual Conference an event principally for heads, bursars and governors from leading independent schools across the UK.
Venue This major conference will take place over two days, Tuesday 20th & Wednesday 21st March 2007, at The Brewery in Chiswell Street, London EC1. Established in 1750, The Brewery is recognised as a centre of excellence for a wide range of events and has won several prestigious awards. It is situated in the heart of the City of London, just a few minutes' walk from Liverpool Street (mainline) and Barbican (underground) stations.

Building on the success of the inaugural 2006 Annual Conference, the 2007 ISC Annual Conference will present a mixture of plenary and breakout sessions, platforming first-class speakers and expert panels from around the globe, profiling innovation and best practice and bringing educational debate “to life”. Speakers include Harry Anthony Patrinos, Lead Education Economist at the World Bank, Dominic M. Cermele, President of Girard College, Philadelphia, USA, Dame Angela Rumbold, Andrew Disbury, Director of Education, British Council China, and Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Oxford.

For the first time, this year's event will incorporate a large suppliers' exhibition alongside the busy conference schedule. In a fast-changing educational environment, this will provide a fantastic opportunity to learn about new developments, new products, and new opportunities. The exhibitors, together with ISC, will also host a drinks reception and cabaret on the first night of the conference (Tuesday 20th March).

Find out more: https://www.eventsforce.net/isc/frontend/frontEndFrameset1.csp?eventID=6

a²om gives evidence at the House of Commons Transport Select Committee inquiry into novice drivers.

The House of Commons Transport Committee is conducting an inquiry into novice drivers, with oral evidence sessions currently being heard.

HoC The inquiry is considering:

The nature of the problem

To what extent novice drivers are more at risk of being involved in a collision than other drivers, and whether this is primarily a consequence of age, inexperience or a combination of both.
Do young people's attitudes to driving have a significant impact on the collision rates of young and novice drivers?

Driver education and testing

How effective are the existing practical and theory driving tests at identifying safe driving skills and behaviour? Has the hazard perception test achieved its objectives?

Could changes to driver education and testing help to make novice drivers safer? Such changes might include:

new pre-test requirements, such as a minimum number of hours' or miles' driving, or a minimum period between obtaining a provisional license and taking the test;
compulsory professional tuition; or
additional training for motorway driving or night driving

Graduated licensing

Graduated licensing schemes involve the phasing-in of driving privileges. Typically, a gradated licensing scheme imposes additional restrictions on new drivers either for a fixed period of time after passing their test or until a second test is passed. Restrictions in a graduated licensing programme might include:

a lower speed limit;
a lower blood-alcohol limit;
restrictions on the number of passengers who may be carried; and
restrictions on night driving.

Changes to the driving age

Would there be any benefit in changing the minimum age at which a provisional or full license may be obtained?

Different treatment of offenders

Drivers face disqualification and re-testing if they acquire six penalty points during the first two years after taking their test. Could further, similar provisions for the different treatment of novice drivers who offend be introduced?

Found out more: http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/transport_committee.cfm

The a²om cup: We are proud to sponsor the first England v. Scotland Independent Schools International Match.

ISFA is delighted to announce a new partnership with a²om, who will become the Official Sponsors of the ISFA Senior Six-a-Side Tournament as well as the first England v. Scotland Independent Schools International Match in April, in which the two teams will play for The a²om Cup.

a²om is the UK's first university-affiliated safe driving academy, where students learn far more than how to pass a test. They learn to be better drivers. The a2om curriculum is founded on 20 years of driver behaviour research and development from leading universities. Instead of the usual 'one size fits all' approach to dirving instruction, a2om tailors its tuition to the individual.

The frontal lobe of the brain does not mature until the age of 25. It is why young drivers are more likely to have a car crash. Poor driving behaviour is the cause of 95% of car crashes. a2om's teaching is based on the belief that behaviour and attitude are as important as skills.

For these reasons ISFA believes a²om are ideal partners for ISFA and for the two Under-18 events above.

David Elleray, Chairman of ISFA, says “I am delighted that ISFA will be working in partnership with a²om as I strongly believe that they represent a marvellous way for pupils in our schools to become more competent, mature and safe drivers. Footballers and cars have not always had a happy relationship but a²om and ISFA are determined to work together to make the football field a fun place and the road a safer place. I would urge anyone who has children of driving age to look at the a2om website.”

Find out more: http://www.isfa.org.uk/boys/news.php?go=fullnews&id=75