A SEARCH has been launched to find the country’s best driver under the age of 17.

The Young Driver Challenge 2015 launched last week and offers 11 to 16 year olds the chance to show their skills behind the wheel of a car.

The challenge aims to encourage youngsters to consider responsible and safe driving.

Driver are being assessed at Young Driver’s 28 venues on criteria such as manoeuvres and steering.

Drivers in the area can head to Yeovil’s Haynes Motor Museum for their assessment.

Entries can now be made until the end of July with the 40 top scorers invited to a final event in September in the Midlands.

The next stage then sees drivers assessed online over their knowledge of the Highway Code.

Prizes for winners include 20 Young Driver lessons, 20 on the road post-17 driving lessons and a £200 cash prize for the driver who shows the best attitude.

Kim Stanton, who runs the scheme, said: “The Young Driver Challenge was a huge success last year. The final event included 40 youngsters who all demonstrated a driving ability well beyond their years, and I think people would be stunned to see how good they are.”

For more information about the challenge, or to book a Young Driver lesson, go to www.youngdriver.eu or call 0844 371 9010.