In a drive to engage with youngsters on road safety and to help the Automotive students, at Truro and Penwith College, Devon and Cornwall Police has donated three vehicles to the College.
In a first for Devon and Cornwall, the vehicles seized by the police from drivers in the county with no license or no insurance are not being crushed but given to our students to work and learn on.
Devon and Cornwall Police said it recovered 1,886 vehicles in 2024, adding the introduction of the initiative would allow police to re-direct cars “from the scrap heap to the classroom”.
Exploring under the bonnets of the new vehicles, the delighted automotive cohort got to meet car enthusiast, Sergeant Owen Messenger, from Devon and Cornwall Police’s, road casualty reduction team, who many of the students knew from his infamous social media road safety posts.
The police took the opportunity to drive home the importance of road safety including, wear your seat belt, the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and highlighting the passenger seat is the most vulnerable in the car.
Phil Hanson, motor vehicle lecturer at Truro and Penwith College said: “The kind donation of these vehicles allows our students to engage directly with real-world automotive systems, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers in the motor vehicle industry.”
Speaking on BBC Spotlight, the regional news programme which featured the new initiative, Sgt Messenger said: “Working in partnership with colleges in Devon and Cornwall allows us to give the vehicles a new purpose and contribute to a better learning experience for automotive students.
