The Club is a non-profit making organisation
but needs funds to meet expenses, principally for the hire
of venues. The fees for the 2010 season have been set at
£180 for one child or £270 for two or more. There is an
additional one time only joining fee per family of £50.
ALL NORMAL DRIVING VENUES ARE FREE OF CHARGE TO MEMBERS.
READ A LOT MORE ABOUT THE CLUB
THE UNDER 17 CAR CLUB
January 2010
As its name suggests, the Club is where youngsters under the age
of 17 can drive motor vehicles.
There are currently about 300 members and the Club is open to anyone - waiting list permitting - who is tall enough to drive and is between the ages of 12 years and 15 years during the year of joining.
This means youngsters can join when they are 11, provided their 12th birthday occurs during their first season but once they have had their 15th birthday they are too old.
The club was started in 1976 by author Sandy Barrie who realised there was no opportunity for youngsters under seventeen to drive cars. The Club is run entirely by volunteers with no full or part time paid staff.
In recognition of its activities, the Club has also been presented with the Prince Michael of Kent Road Safety Award.
Once they have joined, Members can stay in the Club up to and including the season they reach their 17th birthday. By the time a Club Member is coming up to 17, they will probably be driving better than many licence holders on the road.
Members are taught to drive by their parents in the parents’ cars with the help of the Club Instructors who try to do a progress check every 3 or 4 meetings.
These are held on the Sunday of most weekends between March and
November at one of our venues and there are usually in excess of 30 all-day
meetings per season. Venues vary from year to year but this season
the Club will use six different sites, but occasionally we may use
more than one for selected different grades tackling different
disciplines. We are always on the lookout for additional venues,
especially in the Midlands.
It is impractical to base your membership of the Club upon the idea of only ever visiting one particular venue as each different venue presents its own challenges and the Club encourages members to experience as wide a variety as possible.
The Club uses a grading system to assess progress. New Members start as Ungraded and work up through Grades 5 to 1. Grade 5 is generally obtained quite early, often on the first visit, but subsequent grades are more difficult and have to be earned by hard work and practice.
Tests based upon the DSA Theory Test are conducted as part of the
process of moving through the Grades and a First Aid qualification
and skid pan instruction are required to reach Grade 1.
Upon reaching Grade 2, Members are permitted drive the car with their Associate(s) as back seat passengers and they also then get the opportunity to learn to handle a car safely at higher speeds.
When they achieve Grade 1, Members can finally drive without supervision and the first solo drive is always a big moment in the life of a Club Member.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Stone by e-mail by clicking button below.
MORE INFO PLEASE
There are currently about 300 members and the Club is open to anyone - waiting list permitting - who is tall enough to drive and is between the ages of 12 years and 15 years during the year of joining.
This means youngsters can join when they are 11, provided their 12th birthday occurs during their first season but once they have had their 15th birthday they are too old.
The club was started in 1976 by author Sandy Barrie who realised there was no opportunity for youngsters under seventeen to drive cars. The Club is run entirely by volunteers with no full or part time paid staff.
In recognition of its activities, the Club has also been presented with the Prince Michael of Kent Road Safety Award.
Once they have joined, Members can stay in the Club up to and including the season they reach their 17th birthday. By the time a Club Member is coming up to 17, they will probably be driving better than many licence holders on the road.
Members are taught to drive by their parents in the parents’ cars with the help of the Club Instructors who try to do a progress check every 3 or 4 meetings.
MEETINGS
These are held on the Sunday of most weekends between March and
November at one of our venues and there are usually in excess of 30 all-day
meetings per season. Venues vary from year to year but this season
the Club will use six different sites, but occasionally we may use
more than one for selected different grades tackling different
disciplines. We are always on the lookout for additional venues,
especially in the Midlands.It is impractical to base your membership of the Club upon the idea of only ever visiting one particular venue as each different venue presents its own challenges and the Club encourages members to experience as wide a variety as possible.
REQUIREMENTS (See important facts also)
Each Full Member (i.e. under the age of 17) MUST have an
Associate Member(s), (who is preferably, but not necessarily, a
parent), responsible for him/her who will be present at each
meeting. An Associate Member must have held a Full Driving Licence
for at least three years AND be over the age of 21. Active
participation is needed from all Associate Members to run the Club,
and in particular, to ensure safety at meetings.The Club uses a grading system to assess progress. New Members start as Ungraded and work up through Grades 5 to 1. Grade 5 is generally obtained quite early, often on the first visit, but subsequent grades are more difficult and have to be earned by hard work and practice.
Tests based upon the DSA Theory Test are conducted as part of the
process of moving through the Grades and a First Aid qualification
and skid pan instruction are required to reach Grade 1.Upon reaching Grade 2, Members are permitted drive the car with their Associate(s) as back seat passengers and they also then get the opportunity to learn to handle a car safely at higher speeds.
When they achieve Grade 1, Members can finally drive without supervision and the first solo drive is always a big moment in the life of a Club Member.
To assist you
For more information, please contact Jennifer Stone by e-mail by clicking button below.
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2010
To help meet operational expenses
VEHICLES
Members may drive the following
Their parents' own family car (4 seater), but, please note, no automatic cars, 2+2's, or vans
are allowed. The vehicle must also have a centrally located
manual handbrake.
INSURANCE
THIS IS AN OWN
RISK CLUB.
We all bring our own cars and families
entirely at our own risk.
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES
Different driving experiences
There are also additional one-off events
held throughout the year giving Members of sufficiently high
grading the opportunity to
drive rally cars, go off-road in 4X4 vehicles, drive trucks
and sports cars as well as "occasional" Factory Visits.
These events usually attract additional cost.
These events usually attract additional cost.
GRADE X
Driving Excellence
Comparatively few Members achieve this grade, (just over 50 in 29
years), because the standard is so high and many Members reach 17
before they have the opportunity to even attempt Grade X. Further
skid pan instruction, written tests on mechanical knowledge and the
Highway Code are included along with a number of drives and skill
tests in a variety of vehicles.
A 2-part advanced driving test is the final barrier to Grade X. To mark success at this level the Member's name is added to the Club's Grade X Shield.
A 2-part advanced driving test is the final barrier to Grade X. To mark success at this level the Member's name is added to the Club's Grade X Shield.



