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Teenage crash driver backs campaign

A Welsh teenager who wrote off his parents' car on the day he passed his driving test is backing a project to give advanced driving lessons to young people.

Within eight hours of throwing away his L-plates, Tom Martin, 17, from Cardiff, took four friends out in the family Peugeot 306, lost control and crashed. They all managed to get out of the wreckage with cuts and bruises, but were extremely shocked.

"My life flashed before me, I was more upset than anything else because it was my mum's car, but I realise it could have much worse," he said. "I realise now the people in my car are my responsibility - when I crashed I didn't realise that. It was about two months before I got in a car again."

Road Safety Wales is encouraging new drivers to take the Pass Plus Cymru (PPC) course to give them experience of driving in different conditions.

The teenager, who has had a quote of £4,000 to insure his car in his own name, advocates the new £40 PPC. The scheme involves the new driver spending a day with a driving instructor to identify hazards.

For the full story go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk

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