A SAFER driving initiative is helping to fund a crimefighting scheme. Chris Gregory finds out more.

LIKE many motorists, my driving test now seems a distant memory.

So it was with a little trepidation that I got into the car with David Watkins, driving instructor for the Blue Lamp Trust.

He should know what he’s talking about – he was a driving instructor for 10 years, and then spent four years teaching police officers advanced skills, such as driving at high speed.

The charity, founded 18 months ago with the support of the fire and police services in Hampshire, is now running advanced driving lessons, particularly for drivers who use company cars.

Mr Watkins said: “They are what we call high risk, because out of all the accidents, approximately one third involves company car drivers.

“This is about highlighting what we call defensive driving.

“It’s about trying to avoid conflict with other road users, and you do that by increasing your safety margin.”

The lesson started badly. A quick inspection of my driving licence revealed it expired in May, something I had been blissfully unaware of.

It was followed by an eye test and looking for faults on my car, before we set off in the charity’s own vehicle.

Slowly, tips from my driving lessons came flooding back to me, like keeping both hands on the steering wheel, and checking every mirror when there was a change of speed limit.

As we drove towards Fleet, I was taught some more advanced driving tips. The first one was called profiling.

This involved judging another driver’s ability by the state of his or her car, such as its make, how old it was and whether it was well-maintained. I made a mental note to clean my dirt-caked car.

The other tip was to say out loud all the potential hazards and road signs that I could see.

Apparently this is particularly helpful for motorists who are getting tired on a long journey, or those suffering from road rage.

Thankfully, by the end of the lesson I was assessed as a “low-risk” driver, although apparently I need to pay more attention at junctions, even when there are green traffic lights.

A three-hour lesson costs £80, with the proceeds going towards the charity’s Bobby Scheme, which changes locks for burglary victims for free. For more information, visit bluelamptrust.org.uk.