David becomes the new face of young drivers at IAM RoadSmart as he takes on ambassador role

After the completion of its ‘Get Into The Driving Seat’ recruitment competition, IAM RoadSmart has announced that David Gallagher will be its next Younger Driver Ambassador for 2017/18.

David, 23, from Sedgley near Wolverhampton, triumphed in the closely fought contest, which saw him and a number of other finalists get a grilling from a team of judges that included the 1992 Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell, IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer Sarah Sillars, and founder of First Car magazine James Evans.

David follows in the footsteps of Eloise Peabody-Rolf, who has successfully held the position of Younger Driver Ambassador from last September to August 2017. The following month she goes to university.

The role, which is a one year internship, was widely promoted through IAM RoadSmart’s communication channels and via a nationwide media campaign.

The Younger Driver Ambassador is a high-profile position with the successful candidate becoming the voice of younger drivers nationwide. In his new role David will take on a variety of responsibilities including lobbying for change within the organisation, travelling up and down the country visiting schools and colleges, and working with the charity’s 200+ groups throughout the UK as they look to attract younger drivers to the IAM RoadSmart community.

David’s car credentials go back a long way. He learnt to drive unofficially age 11 on private land and confesses to being into ‘anything with an engine’ including ride-on lawnmowers!

Passing his driving test first time age 17, David became involved in his local IAM RoadSmart group in Wolverhampton, rapidly becoming their young driver representative. He also took the Advanced Driving Test and achieved a F1RST standard. 

Since leaving school David has held a variety of jobs including assistant to club photographer and groundsman at West Bromwich Albion and swimming coach at Bilston Swimming Club. Now with six years of driving experience without a single incident, David now drives a Skoda Superb.

“I am delighted to have landed the job and can’t wait to get started. I feel it’s really important to get younger drivers interested in what IAM RoadSmart can offer while they are still in the learning mindset. I really hope I can make a difference, even in a small way.”

David starts his new role with IAM RoadSmart at the beginning of September.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

IAM RoadSmart press office – 020 8996 9777 – press.office@iam.org.uk                 

ISDN broadcast lines available

Follow us:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAMRoadSmart                

On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart  

IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com              

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups            

ENDS ALL