Frequently asked questions about the Under 17 Car Club

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can my child join straight away or for Birthday/Christmas?: There is a Waiting List and a process we follow to try and ensure fairness. Existing Members are offered the opportunity to renew their membership for the next year (unless they are already 17 or will be by 1st March - i.e. prior to the start of the new season) and younger brothers and sisters may also join, if eligible.

Those on the Waiting List who are eligible to become Members (i.e. at least 11 years old and under 15) are generally invited to attend a Club Meeting towards the end of the season to observe the Club in action. This is usually some time during the Autumn and, depending on numbers, they will often have the opportunity to join the Club at that time for participation in the following season's activities.

The remaining places are then offered to applicants who have already expressed an interest in joining and this is on a “first come, first served” basis until the maximum number of Members is reached. We maintain a Waiting List of those who are keen to join. Only by returning the Application Form, which can be posted/emailed to you on request, will your name be added to the Waiting List.

We are at full capacity for the 2008 season, but we are accepting Applications to be placed on the Waiting List, and those on the Waiting List and who fall within the Club's age limits will be invited to a meeting in the autumn to see the Club in action.
Where do we drive?: We currently use a number of different venues located largely throughout the South of England, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, and Warwickshire.

Not all these venues are open to you when you first join as some present a greater challenge but by the time you have reached Grade 3 all venues will be open to you.
Do you have any more northerly venues?: Not currently. We are always on the lookout for new places to drive, so if you know of anywhere suitable, please get in touch with us.
The Club holds meetings only at those venues listed, although these inevitably vary from year to year.
When are the meetings held?: Meetings are held on most weekends during the season, which runs from March to November each year. Some meetings are held on Saturdays, others on Sundays but there is usually only one meeting each weekend.

The club does not operate at all of the venues each weekend but rotates between them, and it does not visit each venue an equal number of times.

While some venues may appear to be a long way away, most are within a two hour drive from home and we do have members who regularly make the trip to Wiltshire and Berkshire from as far away as Lancashire and Yorkshire.
How often can we attend meetings?: You can go to as many or as few meetings as you like, subject only to the Grade restrictions. There is no additional charge.
It should be emphasised that frequent attendance at a number of different venues leads to the most rapid progress and opens up a wider range of venues and other driving opportunities. (e.g. rally cars/trucks/4x4)
What do we drive?: Your own family car.
Please note that automatic vehicles are NOT permitted.
Who teaches my child/children to drive?: YOU, the parent, are the instructor using your own family car.
At regular intervals, the Member will be assessed by a Club Instructor to ensure that progress is being made along the right lines, to help with specific difficulties or to resolve disagreement on driving technique!

Club Instructors are generally drawn from the ranks of the parents of Members past and present who have, in most cases, guided their own Members to Grade 1 and beyond. You may encounter professional driving instructors among their ranks and it is not unknown for Associates to change career paths as a result of their experiences with the Club!

You may well find that your own driving improves as a result of your child's experiences within the Club. A considerable number of parents do go on to take the advanced driving tests offered by the Institute of Advanced Motorists and RoSPA.
What are the age restrictions on joining the Club?: The upper age limit for entry to the Club is 15, and the lower age limit for entry to the Club is 11.
Children who are not yet 11 can be added to the Waiting List and will be invited to join at the appropriate time, space permitting.
Any suggestions for those who have passed the upper age limit?: A search on Google using the words under+17+driving (no quotation marks) currently reveals at least three sites in the first ten results who will provide training for drivers under 17.
Why are there strict age limits at which children will be admitted?: The reason for these restrictions is for the benefit of both the child and the Club. The Club exists to enable under age drivers to practise and improve their driving skills legally and safely, in a variety of different vehicles, under properly supervised conditions, and to take an active interest in cars and motor sport and ultimately to produce safer young drivers on our roads at age 17 and beyond".
Please note the emphasis : - the Club is intended for young people who really care about cars and motor sport. It is not for teenagers approaching the driving test and just anxious to obtain some early practice.

A child joining the Club aged around 14/15 might expect to take about two years to advance from Ungraded at entry to Grade 1 assuming they attend a wide variety of venues on a regular basis. Comparatively few Members ever reach the standard required to attain Grade X. (Currently just over fifty in twenty nine years.) This means that youngsters joining after the age of fifteen would not be able to take advantage of the special driving events, which are often subsidised, as participation is based upon skill and experience, not upon size or age.

In addition because the Club is run entirely by unpaid, volunteer Associates, it needs a constant stream of "new blood" to take the Club forward. This tends to be from the Associates of Members who have reached Grade 1 or 2 and have a couple of years left in the Club i.e. are aged 14-15. If we admitted large numbers of 16 year olds, they would only be in the Club for one season or two at the most and there would very soon be no-one to take over and in all likelihood the Club would soon cease to exist.
Do you know of any similar clubs operating elsewhere?: So far as we know, the Club is unique within the UK and we are not aware of anything quite like it anywhere else in the world.
What about insurance?: This is an OWN RISK Club.
We all bring our own cars and families at our own risk.
How much will it cost?: The Under 17 Car Club is not a commercial venture and is operated as a non-profit organisation. The subscription is principally used to pay for the hire of venues and to cover the cost of public liability insurance which, as you may be aware, has increased significantly in the past year or so.

The fees for the 2009 season have now been set at £180 for one child and £270 for families with two or more children. There is also a one off joining fee of £50 per family.

This sum covers the cost of attending any or all of the season's meetings. There are some extra-curricular events which do attract extra cost but whether or not you participate in these is up to you.
Who do I contact for more details?: Please e-mail Jennifer Stone the Membership Secretary by clicking on the MORE INFO PLEASE button at the bottom of this webpage.

ACTIVITIES

THE UNDER 17 CAR CLUB

Run by volunteer adults

For its 12 -17 year old members

The club provides the opportunity for under age drivers to practise and improve their driving skills legally and safely under properly supervised conditions.

Started in 1976

More vibrant today than ever

Encouraged by enthusiastic parents and grand-parents, our young members achieve and sustain a high level of driving competence and knowledge, that will assist them greatly when they legally take to the roads after their 17th birthday.

MORE INFO PLEASE