Mullingar OpelCo Westmeath, Lough Sheever Corporate Park, N91 WEY0 Mullingar
Published 19th October
Mondello Park and Opel Ireland have renewed their Early-Drive | Electrified by Opel partnership. For more than 25 years, Mondello Park has been introducing young people to road safety principles through its Early Drive road safety programme for 13–17-year-olds. With a fleet of new Opel Mokka Electrics recently delivered to Ireland’s premier motorsport venue, the partnership renewal has seen reaffirmation from both parties to continue to improve road safety education amongst teenagers.
Recent Road Safety Authority figures show that 16–25-year-olds accounted for 27% of those killed on Irish roads in the first half of 2026, reinforcing a critical need to develop safer attitudes and an understanding of the responsibilities of driving and road use from a young age. Highlighting the role early education and practical experience can play in preparing teenagers for the road, Mondello Park advocates road safety education should begin long before a young person takes their first driving lesson.
Early-Drive | Electrified by Opel combines practical experience behind the wheel with wider road safety education, supporting the Road Safety Authority's Vision Zero objective of eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2050. It introduces teenagers to driving in a controlled, supervised environment, while developing their understanding of observation, judgement, and responsibility on the road.
Roddy Greene, Managing Director of Mondello Park, said: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Mondello Park, both in motorsport and driving. Recent incidents involving dangerous driving and the sharing of reckless driving content on social media are deeply concerning and reinforce the importance of talking to young people about road safety. By the time somebody begins learning to drive at 17, many of their attitudes towards cars, speed, and road use have already started to form. There is real value in beginning that education earlier.”
He continued: “We have a unique environment here where a young person can experience being responsible for a car without traffic, pedestrians, or the countless other variables they will eventually encounter as a learner driver. They can learn what braking feels like, how much concentration driving requires, and how quickly things happen from behind the wheel while an experienced instructor remains in control of the car.”
Around 2,500 teenagers annually take part in Early-Drive | Electrified by Opel, with many places booked by schools for Transition Year students, as part of their wider education. The programme is also popular among families, with parents bringing teenagers – including many 13- and 14-year-olds – to experience being behind the wheel for the first time under the guidance of a qualified instructor.
The programme combines practical on- and off-track sessions in dual-controlled vehicles, helping participants develop the skills and awareness to become safer pedestrians, cyclists and, ultimately, drivers. The ‘Road Ready’ element covers essential road safety knowledge, responsible road use, the process of applying for a driving licence and preparation for the driver theory test.
The racetrack is set up to simulate real-world road conditions, complete with signs and junctions for participants to navigate. Instructors also use circuit safety features, including gravel traps and tyre barriers to demonstrate the important differences between driving on a racetrack and on public roads.
Roddy Greene, Managing Director of Mondello Park, concluded: “No single programme can solve the challenges we are seeing on Irish roads. What we can do is help give young people greater awareness, better habits, and a stronger understanding of the responsibility that comes with driving before they take to a public road.”
Visit Mondellopark.ie to learn more or book Early-Drive | Electrified by Opel.