Drive check gadget is big success

A gadget tracking what young drivers do behind the wheel so parents can spot poor habits is to be rolled out across the country after bosses said it cut bad driving in Staffordshire.

The black box was launched in Stafford as a pilot project three months ago. It has now proved such a success it is going to be used across the county from next spring and rolled out nationwide afterwards.

Red, amber and green lights on a car's dashboard let drivers know how they are doing thanks to a series of electronic movement sensors.

Results are transmitted to a website where parents can pick up the faults and print out a journey log.

It is even possible to set up text message alerts which let parents know when the youngster has picked up a certain number of reds..

The device collects data on how somebody is driving and picks up on general speed, sharp braking, speed around corners and other bad habits.

Figures can then be analysed by parents so they can help stamp out bad habits in a bid to cut the number of accidents involving inexperienced drivers.

A total of 41 drivers aged 17 to 21 took part in Stafford's pilot project and Staffordshire County Council claims bad driving was cut by half. Good driving improved from 22 per cent at the start of the experiment to just under 50 per cent now.

Adrian Hide, road safety manager for the training team at the county council, said: "This has been a huge success. The results have been startling and the feedback we have both received off parents and their children has all been very positive. The driving has improved significantly and we are so pleased with the results that we are looking to take the black box pilot scheme country wide next year." GreenRoad is the company behind the black box device.