A group of young drivers from Limavady are breaking the mould when it comes to safe driving and modifying their cars. The Limavady Custom Cruisers, based at North West Regional College’s Greystone Centre, are celebrating their fourth year with the launch of a major new modification project, the Skyline project, on Thursday 13th October at 7.30pm.
Established in 2007 as a partnership between the College, Limavady District Policing Partnership and the PSNI Road Policing Team, the Limavady Custom Cruisers have proven that over the past four years, they have made a significant impact on the reduction of 16 – 25 years olds killed or seriously injured on the roads in the borough. In 2010, no young person was killed as a result of road traffic collisions, which was a marked difference to 2006, before the Custom Cruisers project began, when some 20 young people were either fatally wounded or injured in RTCs.
The aim of the group, which meets every Thursday night during term-time, is to show young drivers how to ‘do it safely’ – either modifying their cars to legal and safe requirements, or giving them additional skills to be better drivers. Motor Vehicle Lecturers at the College, the PSNI Roads Policing Team, and the Limavady DPP bring in guest speakers ranging from Rally Drivers to experts in car music systems to educate the young students how to enjoy their cars safely.
The club hasn’t only had an impact on the numbers involved in collisions. The first modification project (RSylv), in which a Nissan Sylvia was transformed by the club, concluded with a raffle of the adapted car and raised £26,000 for the Regional Acquired Brain Injury Unit at Musgrave Hospital.
The new Skyline project will take on board the ideas of the members of the group, allowing them to work in the College’s state of the art motor vehicle workshop, and would not be possible without the many sponsors who donate equipment or their time to support the project.
William Semple, Club Chairman said “The RSylv project was very successful, with many young adult males participating on a weekly basis, not only learning how to modify a car legally and safely but also learning about motor sport, meeting celebrities from the various motor sport disciplines and improving their driving skills and knowledge.”
Mark Luney, European Drift Champion and runner-up in the 2011 British Drift Championship has confirmed that he will attend the launch of the new project and the club welcomes anyone who would like to get involved in the project over the coming months.
Inspector Stephen Haslett added, “Police will continue to engage directly with young road users in an effort to maintain the dramatic reduction in death and serious injury achieved in the Limavady Borough since the RSylv project. We have listened and responded using innovative methods of learning and I look forward to engaging with a new generation of young drivers”.
Rosemary Savage of the Limavady DPP said “the District Policing Project continues to be involved with LCC and its appropriate engagement with young drivers. Everyone is welcome to attend and to participate in the project so that together we can change attitudes, improve knowledge and driving skills.”
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