Editing Materials (Unit7: P5)

Final Draft

Final Article

Boiling Over: How road rage is affecting 

                       the nations learners

·      Boy 17, hospitalised after road rage incident

·      Learner drivers feel increasingly unsafe

·      Petition for heavier penalties for road rage perpetrators

A 17-year-old has been involved in a road rage incident causing them to be hospitalised and in a critical condition. 

Young Harry Smith was driving along the road in Edmonton town centre during his driving lesson when some impatient driver decided to overtake him on a corner causing him to crash into an oncoming vehicle. 

This led Harry to do an emergency stop as he panicked and him and his driving instructor decided to get out and check if everyone was ok and the impatient driver took a swing at poor young Harry leaving him knocked out and bleeding. 

The impatient driver then drove off while an ambulance was called by the instructor and now the authorities are searching for this impatient driver to give him the proper sentence he deserves.

“All I was doing was sticking to the speed limit and driving safely and this man in a huge 4x4 decides to overtake me on the corner. I was in shock when I saw the crash that I emergency stopped and both me and my instructor got out the car to check if everyone was ok,” Said Harry who is now recovering at the North Middlesex Hospital.

“Thankfully no one was hurt at that time but when I turned around the impatient driver shouted at me and called me a stupid learner which knocked my confidence a lot and I just felt really small.

“Then his hand made a fist and he punched me multiple times until I passed out. I woke up in hospital feeling really ill. The worst bit about all this is that this man was obviously a learner once and he forgets that we are only trying our best, but that L plate turns people into monsters when they see it."

 When asked if he has any words for the impatient driver Harry said:

“What you did was assault and I have reported this to the police who are now searching for you. It is best that you give yourself in before they find you.”

Police in Edmonton have confirmed that they are looking for the driver of the black 4x4 Range Rover, who they describe as being a 5”7, Caucasian man aged between 18 and 25 with short, spikey hair. 

Harrys tragic accident led New Angle to conduct a survey with 30 people ages 17-35 about how they feel on the road as a learner. 

Half of them said they have had bad experiences on the road as learners with cases of being overtaken dangerously, being shouted at, and people just acting like aggressively as soon as they see the L plate on the car. 

This shows that a many learner driver experiences an incident with impatient road users. 

In the survey no one experienced anything as bad as poor young Harry.  However, They all agreed that if drivers don't change their behaviour towards learner drivers, we could end up with more violent incidents of road rage like that experienced by Harry.

The driving school, Marmalade have decided to take action. They have recorded statistics from abused learner drivers and created a petition to lobby government for harsher penalties towards experienced drivers that are abusive and aggressive towards new drivers. 

Marmalades findings make for uncomfortable reading.

Their research revealed that 91% of learners will have people overtake them in dangerous situations.

77% of their driving instructors said they received regular abuse when teaching students and 31% said their happened on a daily basis.

The findings also showed that 66% of learners receive abusive hand gestures and 49% have experienced verbal abuse. 

These numbers are huge, and Marmalade hope punishments such as a minimum fine of £100 or three penalty points on their licence. 

They feel this could stop this abusive behaviour.

Harrys Driving instructor, Gary Devon, who witnessed everything that happened at the scene and called the ambulance said: 

"This was the worst case I have ever seen. It all happened so quickly but to go for a teenager like that is absolutely horrendous.

“I agree with Marmalade’s idea and have signed the petition to get penalties for those who are abusing learners as they deserve it.

Mr Devon believes violent drivers like Harry’s attacker should be jailed. 

“They were all learners once. I can’t believe they have forgotten this. 

“The guy who punched Harry needs to be caught and jailed." 

So far the petition has reached 89,000 signatures and needs another 11,000 to be debated in the Houses of Parliament.

Marmalade Chief Executive, Ruby Hussain, is confident the petition will reach its target.

“We have seen a surge in signatures as more and more people share Harry’s incident using social media apps like Whatsapp, Snapchat and Facebook.

“Many have contacted us to say they are outraged that he was attacked for being a learner.”

Ms Hussain has also received tons of supportive messages she has been asked to forward to Harry by other learners who have also experienced abuse on the roads.

“One really supportive message said ‘Get well soon Harry. Idiots like that will get their come uppance!” 

At the time of writing, Harry was in good spirits and said to have made a full recovery.

“I have been really touched by the wonderful messages of support sent to me.”